


Rescue Mission

by MsMKT86



Series: The Rescue Mission Saga [1]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Angst, Bamon, F/M, Feels, Friends to Lovers, Magic Stripping, Major Original Character(s), Minor Bonnie Bennett/Jeremy Gilbert, Minor Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore, Minor Original Character(s), Rescue Missions, Romance, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-20
Updated: 2015-03-24
Packaged: 2018-02-26 09:51:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 36,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2647541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsMKT86/pseuds/MsMKT86
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Damon Salvatore is back from the dead sans the one person with whom he had formed an unbelievable bond, Bonnie Bennett. After finding her childhood bear, Damon is determined to bring her back. With the help of Stefan, Ric and the Mystic Falls Gang, Damon faces challenge after challenge in the mission to get Bonnie back. Once Bonnie is returned home she must go on her own rescue mission to restore the balance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You're Still Alive

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hey guys! So this is legit my second Bamon fic ever; the first being The Journey Home. I got this idea randomly last night in my kitchen. The first paragraph literally came to me and I had to have my sister write it down so that I wouldn't forget it.
> 
> I think this fic probably came about because I have a sinking feeling that getting Bonnie back from Kai's Hell is about to be a Delena plot device and our girl deserves better than that.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy chapter one (it's rated T for now). I've already started writing chapter two.
> 
> Let me know what you think.
> 
> Happy Reading!
> 
> And as always, COMMENTS = LOVE!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: _I do NOT own: The Vampire Diaries, books or television show, the characters, places, word or phrases from either._
> 
>  
> 
> __  
> ****
> 
> **THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ALL REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.**
> 
>   
>   
> 

* * *

**BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE TRAILER FOR RESCUE MISSION BY xKatrina1864x**

**[CLICK HERE!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWySq0s3bjA) **

* * *

 

Damon Salvatore came back from the dead, the same way he left life; so everyone thought. On the outside, he was brash, arrogant, and sexy but on the inside he was lonely, lost and wanting. For four months he spent every single day with a person he thought he despised. Who for a long time, thought despised him; but four months, twenty-fours hours day is a long time. It's an eternity.

Bonnie Bennett was a smart, beautiful and powerful, witch and woman. Damon had had ample opportunity to learn that. She rediscovered her magic in order to save him and she sacrificed her returning home so that he could. It was selfless and Damon had never known such selflessness, especially not on his behalf.

Now, now Damon was back with their friends and family and though he tried to get Elena back, the compulsion laid down by Ric was iron clad and she didn't seem to want to try to fight, except to try to kill herself by stepping over the border. Yes, being over the border would break the compulsion but it would also probably kill her. So, as Damon watched the no magic barrier begin to unwind her vampirism a few thoughts crossed his mind.

 _"Bonnie will be so upset when she gets back if she finds out I let Elena die trying to remember me."_ and _"I love her, I can't let her die."_ Damon took Elena back to her dorm room and left. No Damon/Elena get back together; it was time to let Elena be happy and if being without him was what was going to make her happy, then so be it.

As he mourned the death of yet another relationship, drunk, he made his way to the Salvatore Crypt. He was going to drown his sorrows and maybe have a little one on one conversation with Bonnie but before he could cross the threshold there she sat. Soft, brown and wonderful. Miss Cuddles.

"Bonnie!" he said grabbing the bear and clutching it too his chest. "You're still alive," he said with a grin of the one thing she asked him to have while they were in Kai's Hell. Hope. "You're alive," he said with a chuckle. Damon took another long swig of his bourbon before heading back toward Whitmore.

Stefan Salvatore, since returning home had been living in the apartments just outside the Whitmore campus. He had a renewed since of self and family now that his brother was back.

After Stefan filled Damon in on what he's missed over the past four months, his brother filled him in on 1994, Kai and then he informed him that Bonnie the self sacrificing teenage witch sent him back while she lay there dying. Stefan felt his knees weaken at the news. The last time Bonnie died, he didn't attend her funeral because, well, he didn't remember her. Thank you Tessa; but he and Damon decided to tell everyone else that Bonnie found peace. Especially after the eldest Salvatore told his little brother what Bonnie told him her Gram's told her.

As Stefan was about to settle in for the night, there was a loud banging on his door.

"Stefan!" Damon called. "Stefan! Open up!"

"Damon, shut up," Stefan said as he wrenched the door open and pulled his brother inside. "What are you doing here? I thought you were staying with Alaric?"

"Here," Damon said handing him the bear.

"Uh, are you trying to make up for tormenting me, Damon?" he asked. "The bear's cute but..."

"Shut up Stefan. That's Miss Cuddles."

"Well, it's nice to meet her but I don't know her."

"That's Bonnie's bear. She lost her when she nine," Damon smiled wide. "She was so excited when she found her again. So, I know she sent her here to let me know she's alive."

"Well, how are we going to get her back?" Stefan smiled.

"Whatever's necessary," Damon replied as he fished around in his jean's pocket.

"Who are you calling?"

"Ric."

"It's late, Damon."

"I don't care, Stefan."

"Hello?" the groggy voice on the other end said.

"Wake up, Ric. I need you to come over to Stefan's," Damon informed him.

"Why Damon? It's...two in the morning," Ric questioned.

"It's right down the damn hall, quit complaining," the eldest Salvatore said. "Stef and me have no problem showing up at your door."

"I'm on my way," Ric said before ending the call. A few minutes later there was knock on the door.

"Come in," Damon joked as he pulled the door open.

"Ha, what do you want Damon, I was sleeping. Humans need that," Ric grinned.

"Yeah, I don't care about that. Here," he said taking Miss Cuddles from Stefan and handing it Ric.

"You stealing from kids now Damon?" he questioned.

"No. Dick. That's Miss Cuddles. Bonnie's bear," Damon said.

"But you said Bonnie..."

"I lied."

"Not the first time I suppose; but that doesn't explain why I'm here," Ric said looking Damon in the eyes.

"This is a sign. She's alive so we're gonna figure out a way to get her back," Damon informed the two of them. "You've got a witchy doctor at your beck and call and Stefan and I have...well we have Elena and all the people that she knows."

"Jo doesn't do magic anymore," Ric said, handing Damon the bear.

"She does now," Damon said as he opened the door and pushed Ric into the hallway. "I don't care what you have to do to her back into the mojo but make it quick," he said before closing the door.

"Damon, what does Elena have to do with this? She doesn't know the truth," Stefan said.

"Yet. She doesn't know the truth yet. Plus she's like a different Elena, right? She'll get why we lied," Damon said as he began to raid his brother's fridge. "Right after you tell her."

"What?"

"Get to bed brother," Damon smirked. "We've got a big day tomorrow," he said before he flung himself on to the couch and kicked off his boots. Stefan rolled his eyes, shut off the lights and went off to bed.


	2. Is that bastard Kai your brother?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey Bamily! So, thanks for reading so far. I'm really glad that you guys like Rescue Mission. Ok, a little spoiler alert. I plan on using the Gemini Coven; all that stuff EXPECT The Merge. It's stupid to me. The Gemini or twins merge to become one leader. Dumb. I don't know. I just didn't like that so I'm not doing that. Oh, and yes. There is going to be Stefan the Bamon Fanboy and Caroline the Bamon Fangirl. Steroline friendship abound.**
> 
>  
> 
> **After this chapter, things are going to move a little more quickly and the chapters will probably get longer.**
> 
>  
> 
> **So enjoy!**
> 
>  
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
>  
> 
> **And as always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
>  
> 
> **Disclaimer on previous chapter.**
> 
>  
> 
> ****
> 
> **THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.**

* * *

The next morning Stefan awoke to Damon going through his closet and flinging things on the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"We gotta make you look good, so that Elena doesn't kill you after she finds out that you lied," Damon said with his back to his brother.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Stefan asked getting out of the bed.

"It's a fact that when people look good, they are less likely to die," Damon said matter-of-factly.

"That's stupid," Stefan said as Damon held a dark gray V-neck t-shirt up to him.

"Shut up and put that on," the oldest Salvatore said before leaving the room. After both brothers were dressed and had both dined on a blood bag, Damon laid out their plan for the day. "You gonna tell Elena and Caroline about Bonnie and I'm gonna make sure Ric gets the witch doctor on board."

"Damon, listen, I want Bonnie back too but this, whatever this is, might not work," Stefan said, his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Bonnie saved me, Stefan. I have to do whatever I can to get her back," Damon said. Stefan smiled at Damon. His selflessness was refreshing and it reminded him of his brother. The brother he had wanted so much to be like.

"Alright. Let's go," Stefan said opening the door. He and Damon shook hands and went in opposite directions.

* * *

Bonnie Bennett had been taking care of the wound to her abdomen caused by Kai and that stupid arrow. She figured bleeding to death after sending her magic back to, where ever it landed was a sucky way to die and plus Kai needed someone to torment him. As she replaced one gauze with another, she heard footsteps behind her.

"Still being creepy?" she asked, pulling her shirt down over her bandage.

"Back to being a failure?" he replied.

"I didn't fail at anything," Bonnie said spinning around on her stool. "Damon and my magic are safe. You're just mad because I outsmarted you."

"This time, but lucky for you I've got another plan," Kai smirked.

"I won't help you," she spat.

"You will Little witch..."

"Don't call me that!"

"And you'll like it," he finished as if she hadn't yelled. Bonnie narrowed her eyes and stared at the smug man in front of her. She had never hated anyone as much as she did Kai and Silas killed her father. In front of her. "Are you trying to stare me to death?"

"No. I was hoping you'd realize how much I hate you, get uncomfortable and leave," she said in a snarky tone.

"Aww, Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie," Kai said stepping closer to her. "I don't get uncomfortable around girls."

"Why is that? I'd think you'd want to hide it better. Not let them see your Napoleon complex so easily," Bonnie said taking several steps back toward the table.

"I don't have a Napoleon complex. For what? I'm awesome," Kai said with a wicked smile.

"You're douchey," Bonnie spat as she reached behind her grabbed a knife, jammed it into his neck and ran out of room.

* * *

_**Knock Knock** _

"Stefan?" Elena Gilbert asked as she pulled the door to her dorm room open. "What are you doing here?"

"Is Caroline here?" he asked. Elena pushed the door open a little wider to reveal Caroline Forbes laying on her bed. "I need to come in," he said pushing his way in.

"This better be good, Stefan because we were enjoying a boy free day," Caroline said sitting up. Stefan was silent. He just reached into his bag and pulled out the bear. The girls looked at the bear dumbfounded; then they looked at him, then back at the bear.

"Stefan, what the hell?" Elena whispered, tears in her eyes. Caroline's blue eyes were wide as saucers as she pushed herself off of her bed and walked over to him. She reached out and he handed her the bear. She buried her face in the top of it's head and began to cry harder.

"It smells like Bonnie," she sobbed, clutching the bear.

"Where did you get Miss Cuddles?" Elena questioned as her best friend handed her the bear.

"Bonnie sent her back," Stefan said not wanting to drag this out any longer. "Bonnie didn't find peace. She's trapped in another dimension with a homicidal douchebag apparently.

"But you said..." Caroline said angrily.

"I know what I said," Stefan said looking her in the eyes. "I lied."

"So now what?" Elena asked, still clutching the bear.

"Damon wants to bring her back," he answered. "I don't know how yet but...he's working on it."

* * *

_**Knock** _

"Ric!" Damon yelled through the door.

_**Knock** _

"Ric!" he called again. Still no answer; so Damon continued his series on one knock then calling Ric's name.

"Damon!" Ric said wrenching the door open. "What the hell?"

"Hey buddy," Damon said with a quirk of his eyebrow. "So?"

"What?" Ric asked with a smirk.

"Don't be a dick Ric. Invite your best friend in."

"Or what? I'm safe in here."

"But not out here."

"Touché," Ric said rolling his eyes. "Come in Damon."

"Thank you," Damon said as he slapped Ric hard on the chest on the way in. "So, how'd it go with Dr. Jo, Witch Doctor?"

"Listen Damon, she can't help," he answered.

"Why not?" the vampire asked annoyed.

"Be quiet; she in the other room. Alright, after what happened with her brother, she...she stopped being magic."

"Bullshit. She can just stop being magic. It's who she is, not _what_ she is."

"Look, after her brother tried to gut her when she was younger, she relinquished her magic," Ric explained.

"Wait. What'd you say?" Damon asked lifting an eyebrow.

"Her brother tried to kill her, she gave up her magic," Ric repeated. Damon didn't say another word, he just stormed into the next room where Jo sat on Alaric bed.

"Kai is your brother?" he blurted out. She looked at him eyes wide. "Save the I don't know what you're talking about act," Damon said approaching the bed. "Is that bastard Kai your brother?" She was silent for a moment before she finally spoke.

"Twin brother."

"Awesome," Damon said digging his phone out of his pocket.

"Hello?" Stefan answered.

"Round up the Scooby Gang and get to Ric's. His little girlfriend has a pretty interesting story to tell," Damon said before he ended the call.

"I don't know what you want from me," Jo said as Ric was entering the room.

"Some answers," Damon said coldly.

"Damon," Ric said jerking his head to the other room. Damon gave Jo one last hard look before exiting.

"What?"

"What are you doing?"

"Getting Bonnie back," Damon stated.

"That was a horrible time in Jo's life," Ric whispered.

"So? Everyone has gone through a time when their family tried to kill them," Damon spat in a harsh whisper. "My family _did_ kill me. She'll pull through," he said as he plopped himself down on the couch awaiting everyone else's arrival.


	3. She said once that we were messy, complicated and real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Hey guys! Here's the newest update. I hope you guys enjoy it.**
> 
>  
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
>  
> 
> **COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
>  
> 
> _**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own: The Vampire Diaries, TV show, books, characters, quotes, words, phrases or anything else you can find outside of fandom; because if I did, Delena who?**_
> 
>  
> 
> ****  
> __
> 
> _THIS FANFICTION IS UBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ALL REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE._
> 
>   
>   
> 

* * *

As Damon flipped through the channels on Ric's plasma TV, there was a knock on the door.

“Ric, you've got company,” Damon called to Ric who was in the kitchen with Jo. The two of them came out and Ric went to the door.

“Hey Ric,” Stefan said with a smile.

“Right. Stefan, Elena, Caroline, Enzo come in,” Ric said as he stepped aside allowing them inside followed by Matt, Jeremy, Tyler, Luke and Liv. Damon watched Jo as she stared at the two blonde stragglers in the back.

“Do you know them?” he asked pointing to the twins.

“I don't know,” Jo said, her eyes still fixed on them.

“Blonde, Crazy Locks, up front,” Damon said beckoning them to the front of the room, near the TV. “Luke and Liv Parker, Dr. Jo Laughlin.

“Lucas? Olivia?” Jo asked tears in her eyes.

“Do you know them?” Ric asked as he came to her side.

“Jo as in...” Luke started.

“Josette?” Liv finished for her twin. Jo nodded as tears streamed from her eyes.

“Who is she to you?” Ric asked as he rubbed the doctor's back.

“I'm their sister,” Jo spoke up. The three of them stood crying and embracing.

“Alright. Now that the Brady's have had their family reunion, get back to the matter at hand,” Damon said annoyed.

“Why are we all here?” Caroline said sitting down on the couch between Enzo and Elena.

“Dr. Witchy Woo is the twin sister of the homicidal bastard that's stuck over there with Bonnie,” Damon informed them.

“What?” Elena said shocked.

“Did you know about that?” Tyler asked Liv.

“We thought maybe,” Luke answered.

“Just get to the damned story,” Damon spat.

“Kai was crazy,” Jo began. “In our coven, one set of twins are the leaders but because of Kai's ability to absorb other's witches powers, our coven didn't want him in leadership. Especially since as leader he could take anyone's power that he wanted, so our parents kept have children until they produced another set of twins.”

“Us,” Liv said.

“Right so he killed our other four siblings when his only targets were me and Liv,” Luke informed them.

“So, our father and the rest of our coven set up a “coronation” for me and Kai,” Jo continued. “When nothing happened my father used the Ascendent to send Kai to his own personal prison. I put my magic away for safe keeping and that's where we are.”

“Alright, so how do we get Bonnie back?” Caroline questioned.

“Jo here is going to get all witchy and help us,” Damon smirked.

“I can't,” she said shaking her head.

“Why not?” the eldest Salvatore snarled.

“Over the years I've misplaced it,” she said.

“Don't bullshit me,” Damon said angrily.

“Why would she lie, Damon?” Ric asked.

“Witches lie,” he informed him.

“Josette,” Luke said looking at her.

“This is important,” Liv said. Jo sighed and walked over the credenza by the wall that housed a lot of creepy looking figurines, books and Jo's handbag. She grabbed it and be to rummage through it.

“It's in here,” Jo said turning back to the room showing them a ragged paperback copy of _Where the Red Fern Grown by Wilson Rawls_. “I was reading this for like the tenth time when...”

“I remember,” Luke and Liv said at the same time. Jo looked up at her siblings, eyes brimming with tears.

“It's in here,” she said again clearing her throat, quickly wiping away the now falling tears.

“Then do whatever you need to to get the mojo back in you,” Damon said. “We've got to save Bonnie from your creepy ass killer brother.” Jo looked apprehensively at Damon but she saw the determination in his eyes. She laid the book on the table and lit a few candles. She got down on her knees and closed her eyes before speaking,

“Spiritus qui absconditorum reddiderit. Paratus enim reditus. Spiritus qui absconditorum reddiderit,” she chanted as the flames of the candles shot high and a white glow illuminated the room and Jo's entire body. Within seconds the glow was gone and flames had returned to small flames.

“Did it work?” Tyler asked. Everyone looked around the room waiting for a sign when Elena suddenly fell to her knees clutching her head.

“Great,” Damon said snapping his fingers in front of Jo's face, breaking her concentration. “Now, let's get Bonnie back.”

* * *

 

As Ric drove his Tahoe, Jo in the passenger seat, Damon, Stefan, Elena, Enzo, Caroline and Miss Cuddles in the back, there was an awkward silence among them.

“So, Damon,” Enzo said breaking the silence. “Shouldn't you be back here with with Miss Cuddles? She's your girlfriend,” he said as he patted the bear on her head.

“Shut up Enzo,” Caroline said rolling her eyes. “What the plan again?”

“Now that Dr. Jo has all of her magic back we're going to have ourselves a talk with the Gemini Coven,” Damon informed her.

“I don't think this is a good idea,” Jo spoke up.

“You got something better?” Damon snapped.

“Damon, calm down,” Ric said glancing at him in the rearview mirror.

“No! We don't have time to contemplate the pros and cons because as far as I can tell, getting Bonnie back is one hell of a pro,” the eldest Salvatore said sternly.

“I agree with Damon,” Elena said. Caroline, Enzo and Stefan who had turned his head toward the window, rolled their eyes. “Getting Bonnie back is all that matters.”

“Ok, then, Jo what can we expect?” Stefan questioned.

“I don't know. I haven't been home in...what year is this?” she said. “Look, the Coven is not going to care that you want your friend back.”

“She's a witch too, though,” Caroline commented.

“Doesn't matter. They won't want Kai to escape,” Jo replied. “They'll do whatever they can to keep him trapped. Even if that means subjecting Bonnie to an eternity of torture.”

“We'll see about that,” Damon said through gritted teeth.

* * *

 

Bonnie was hiding in Damon's room at the Salvatore boarding house. For whatever reason, Kai would never search the room. He'd turn the entire house upside down, except for Damon's room. She stretched out in the large tub and tried to figure out her next move.

Nothing very good came to mind. She knew that she would have to piece the Ascendent back together and wait until the last minute to kill Kai but she didn't want to attempt that spell in her current state.

Bonnie gingerly climbed out of the tub and laid down on Damon bed. Over their four months together, especially in the time before Kai made his horrible presence known, the two of them would spend lots of time, eating and dancing in the kitchen and laying on his bed talking. They had tried talking at Bonnie's house in her room but she was a little girl, still in a crib and Damon decided that the floor was too hard and it was just weird to lay in her parents bed. Agreeing with his logic they returned the boarding house and to his bed.

As she lay there, her mind was assaulted of one of the many conversations that that room had heard.

_“Why do you love Elena?” she had asked._

_“What?” Damon questioned, looking at her with a sideways glance._

_“You heard me. Why do you love Elena?”_

_“She's perfect._ _She makes me feel like I'm a better person.”_

_“She makes you a better person or she makes you feel like a better person?” Bonnie inquired._

_“It's the same thing,” Damon said annoyed with the question._

_“It's not. Damon, look, for you, being a better person make_ _s_ _you dangerous with a purpose. “Feeling” like a better person makes you dangerous because it's_ _Tuesday_ _,” Bonnie explained. “So, like I said, does she make you a better person or does she make you feel like a better person?”_

_“I guess...”_

_“And before you answer, I want an honest answer.”_

_“Bonnie, I know,” he said rolling his eyes. “I guess she makes me feel better. If I'm being honest.”_

_“Good. When you broke up with her, you should have stuck with it,” Bonnie said turning on her side to face him._

_“I did. I'm dead,” Damon said cheekily, raising an eyebrow._

_“No dummy,” she laughed. “Before that, right before Katherine possessed her. You guys broke up and because it was “too hard” you got back together.”_

_“So? I don't remember asking your opinion, Judgy.”_

_“Elena is my best friend and I never had the_ _opportunity_ _to give my opinion before.”_

_“Well, I didn't know you were so firmly cemented on Team Caroline on the matter,” Damon commented._

_“I'm not. Caroline hates the thought of the two of you even sharing the same room. I hate the thought of two people I care about being in a relationship where all they get from it is good sex and the occasional happy memory,” Bonnie informed him._

_“How do you know we had good sex?” Damon smirked._

_“I would hope so the way it distracted the two of you from life for three months.” Damon was silent. He knew exactly what three months she was referring to._

_“Alright,” he said leaning up on his elbow. “Let's turn the laser scope on you.”_

_“Meaning?”_

_“What's with you and Young Jeremy?” he asked._

_“What do you mean?” she asked._

_“I mean why in the hell are you dating him? He's annoying.”_

_“That's your opinion.”_

_“Bonnie, I'm serious. He cheated on you_ _with_ _Anna the vampire ghost and you just took his ass back, why?” Damon asked looking into her green orbs._

_“I love him. He made a mistake,” Bonnie replied._

_“Bullshit. Tyler, Donovan, hell Stefan would have been a better option than going back to him.”_

_“Elena is allowed_ _to_ _forgive you anything but I can't forgive Jeremy?” she yelled, sitting up on her knees._

_“I never cheated on Elena with a dead chick,” he spat,_ _sitting up._

_“Jeremy never killed my friend,” Bonnie spat back. The two of sat silently, fuming, staring into each other's eyes. “_ _I'm sorry I brought it up.”_

_“Don't be,” Damon said calmly. “I respect your opinion and thoughts.”_

_“Really?” she asked surprised._

_“Yes, I've learned a lot about you Bonnie Bennett. You're a good friend,” he said with a gentle smile._

_“Thank you. So are you, you know,” she said returning his smile. “I'm going to do something that we've never done before.”_

_“What?” Damon asked a wary look on his face as Bonnie leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. He froze for a moment before his arms encircled her. They held each other for a long moment before releasing. “What was that for?”_

_“It was for letting me see the real Damon Salvatore, not the eternal douchebag you usually show,” she answered._

_“Oh,” Damon said. He was, for once, at a loss for words. He had thought that he and Bonnie didn't have the type of relationship that allowed them to be so open with each other but as he looked back, they were always open with each other. Bonnie laid back down and watched as he did the same. She and Damon never really had a lot of heart to hearts when they were in present day Mystic Falls so getting to know him was illuminating._

_Damon was such a multifaceted person and because she knew a bit about what his relationship with Elena was like she had to wonder if Elena knew all the pieces that form the man next to her._

“Bonnie! I know you're in here!” Kai's loud voice rang out breaking her memory. Bonnie rolled her eyes, grabbed a small knife out of Damon's nightstand and waited by the door just in case Kai got a brain and opened the door.

* * *

 

The whole plane ride, Damon sat in silence. He was completely focused on what could possibly happen when they were all face-to-face with the Gemini Coven. If anyone was asking him, and they weren't, they seemed like a bunch of weirdos. So witches have this thing about not killing innocents but Kai is far from a fucking innocent. Whatever. It didn't matter to him how weird they were. He was a man on a mission and he would go through Hell and high water to get Bonnie back. After all, he owed her his life – again.

When the plane landed and everyone was packed into rentals, they drove in the direction in which Jo pointed.

“Damon?” Elena said from the seat beside him. Stefan and Caroline shared a glance but remained silent.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,”

“For what?” Damon asked, looking her in the eyes.

“Bringing Bonnie back to the people who love her,” she answered.

“Well, a lot of people care about Bonnie and want her safe,” he said with a grin.

“Yeah like you,” Stefan whispered to Caroline who nodded her agreement.

“Well it means a lot to me,” Elena said smiling. “I know that I upset you when I...”

“Yeah,”

“I'm sorry Damon. I am but I want you to know that when I stepped over the border I saw things.”

“Things?” Damon asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.

“Yes. You and me and just...flashes of things,” she told him. “Look, all I know that we were messy and complicated but we were real,” Elena said looking into his eyes. Damon was silent. He wasn't sure what to say anyway. He had made the decision to allow Elena to be happy without him but looking at her now was making that decision a little hard to stick to.

“Elena...”

“No, you don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know that I know there is supposed to be something and that I owe it to you to at least acknowledge that. I mean what I said Damon. From what I got back, I could tell that we were messy, complicated and real,” Elena said her brown orbs locked on his. There was that phrase again. Damon nodded that he understood but his mind was on Bonnie.

_“_ _What are you thinking about?” Bonnie asked_ _sitting across from Damon in the living room._ _He had a book open on his lap and h_ _e just quirked his eyebrow at her_ _question_ _. “Alright what about her?” she asked propping herself up in the corner, pillow on her lap._

_“I was just_ _thinking about how...how real we were,” he answered._

_“Huh?”_

_“Elena and me. She said once that we were messy, complicated and real.”_

_“Ok,” Bonnie said with a slight confused look on her face._

_“I don't know, Bonnie. I was just thinking about that. She was right you know. We were real,” Damon explained._

_“Of course you were. That's stupid,” Bonnie retorted._

_“Why is that stupid, BonBon?”_

_“Real, true, existing or occurring as fact, being an actual thing, not imaginary,” Bonnie listed._

_“What was the point of that?” Damon queried._

_“_ _Those were the many definitions of real,” she explained. “So, yes of course, you and Elena were real.”_

_“You know what I meant,” he said annoyed._

_“I know what real means and I know that if the only words you can muster up to describe your three year relationship_ _are_ _messy, complicated and “real” then you, in my opinion, don't have much of a relationship,”_ _Bonnie concluded._

_“_ _You've got a lot of opinions for a dead chick,” Damon commented._

_“I had a lot of opinions before, but I'm_ _not_ _a dick like you so I didn't just blurt them out,” Bonnie chuckled._

_“_ _Right,” Damon laughed and returned to his book._

“Damon?” Ric asked.

“Huh? What?” he said coming back to the rental and realizing that the SUV had stopped. Damon, Elena, Stefan and Caroline looked around at the stately buildings sprawled out over manicured green lawns.

“We're here,” Jo announced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations for the Spell:
> 
> Spirits that be restore to me what is hidden - Spiritus qui absconditorum reddiderit 
> 
> I am prepared for it's return - Spiritus qui absconditorum reddiderit


	4. Everything is Prepared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey guys! So remember that I said that I was using the Gemini Coven stuff just not the Merge stuff? Well that was the total truth. So this next chapter is our meeting the leaders of the GC. Stefan and Caroline have a conversation with a little insight from Enzo and they get ready to get our favorite little witch back. (Also, this chapter is just a bit of filler. The next chapter gets meatier.)**
> 
> **I hope all of you enjoy this chapter!**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
> **And as always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
>    
>  **Disclaimer on previous chapters.**
> 
>  
> 
> ****  
> __
> 
> _THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE._
> 
>   
> 

* * *

"Damon," Stefan whispered as the entire Mystic Falls Gang followed Jo, Luke and Liv.

"What is it?" Damon answered.

"This isn't where I came," Stefan informed him. "There was nothing. No gate, no buildings, no people. Nothing."

"That's why I didn't bother making the trip out here, mate," Enzo commented. Damon furrowed his eyebrows and the group continued to follow the Parker family.

Scattered around the manicured lawns were many stately buildings and beyond those were homes. The Mystic Falls Gang examined their surroundings carefully. The group stopped at the bottom of the steps of the grandest building.

"What's going on?" Caroline questioned.

"Josette?" a disembodied voice said. They all looked around but returned their gaze to the front of the building when they noticed that Jo, Luke and Liv had never looked away.

"Yes, Anna," Jo answered, nervousness seeping into her voice. Suddenly two people appeared at the top of the steps. They were older, maybe in their late sixties, early seventies. Everyone had expected them to be in long flowing robes but the woman had on tea-length dark blue dress and flat white shoes and her hair pulled back in a bun and the man beside her had on dark wash jeans, a white button-up, black tie, a dark blue sweater and dress shoes. They both had graying hair. They all watched as they descended toward them.

"It's so nice to see you," the woman, who they all assumed was Anna, said. Elena, Jeremy, Caroline and Tyler all looked away as Anna gave Jo a stiff hug. It was exceedingly uncomfortable to watch. "Lucas, Olivia. Nice of you to visit as well." The twins just nodded before looking fixedly at the ground.

"Why are you here, Josette?" the man standing next to Anna asked.

"They want to free their friend. She's stuck in Kai's prison," the doctor answered. The two older twins shared a glance.

"I am Andrew and this is my sister Anna. We are the leaders of the Gemini Coven," he spoke clearly. "Please, follow us inside," he said before turning with his sister and heading back up the steps.

"What's happening?" Elena whispered to Damon. He just narrowed his eyes and shrugged.

Once inside, they followed them into a grandiose hall. Andrew and Anna took to two thrones in the front of the room and two other sets of twins entered, closed the doors and then surrounded the group.

"Now what is this about Kai?" Anna questioned.

"Bonnie Bennett is trapped over there with that psycho and we want you to help us bring her back," Damon answered.

"I'm sorry that the Bennett witch is trapped but we can not help you," Andrew apologized. Damon flashed to the front of the group.

"What?! It's your fault she's there and now she's in danger because you and your stupid coven didn't have the courage to kill his ass," Damon shouted. Before he could continue he was clutching his head and falling to his knees in pain.

"What are you doing?" Liv shouted.

"What needs to be done," Anna remarked.

"Hey!" Stefan yelled. Anna glanced at him and noticed that he, Caroline, Enzo and Elena each had one of the two sets of twin by the throat. "Let him go or we'll kill them!" Anna and Andrew share another look and Damon began to scream.

"He's not kidding," Ric informed them. "Every single one of them has killed before and they won't hesitate to do it again." Anna and Andrew glanced at each other again and Damon let out a large sigh of relief. Stefan, Elena, Enzo and Caroline released who they were holding.

"Jeffery, go and get Joshua," Anna said to the man that Enzo had had. He nodded and fled the room.

"If _Joshua_ can't give us any damn answers, save it," Damon spat getting to his feet.

"Damon, shut up," Stefan muttered. The oldest Salvatore rolled his eyes and waited in the silence. Damon's patience wore more and more thin as the seconds ticked by. He looked to the front again, made eye contact with Andrew who looked away and shared a look with his sister.

"What the hell is that about?" Damon yelled. "Why do you two keep looking at each other? I mean I love Stef here but I'm not always gazing into his eyes."

"Damon, the twins in our coven can communicate telepathically," Liv said rolling her eyes. "We just have to look at each other."

"Oh, good to know," he said filing that away for later. Damon had every intention of getting into the prison world, Jo along for the ride. Before he could ask another question the doors opened and Jeffery returned with a tallish man with gray hair and a goatee.

"Josette?" he asked in a thick voice. Jo nodded as he approached her and wrapped his arms around her. "What are you doing here?"

"They wish to get into Malachai's prison," Andrew informed him.

"You can't," Joshua said. "The safety of the coven is at stake."

"I don't care about your stupid coven," Damon spat. "Bonnie is over there."

"Who's Bonnie?" he asked.

"Bonnie Bennett," Liv said.

"We can trap Kai while we escape with her," Jo said.

"No. While we are grateful to the Bennetts, we will _not_ risk our coven for one girl," Anna said.

"That's not fair," Luke yelled.

"You will understand better when you and Olivia are in charge. When you two are in charge of keeping everyone save you will understand," Andrew said in a pseudo kind voice.

"Wait. Go back. Why are you grateful to the Bennetts?" Ric asked.

"Shelia was the one who helped trapped Kai," Jo explained.

"So you repay her by keeping her granddaughter trapped with him?" Damon snapped. "Fucking awesome!"

"One life for many is a sacrifice this coven is willing to make," Anna stated.

"You don't get to play with Bonnie's life," Damon said in a low voice. Caroline glanced at him, then at Stefan. "She's a Bennett and more important that this damn coven combined." Stefan and Caroline grinned at each other.

"Please, I won't let him out," Jo pleaded. "At least let us try." Anna and Andrew looked at each other again before the latter spoke.

"Very well. We will need a few hours to prepare," he said rising from his chair.

"Clock's ticking," Damon called before Andrew and Anna exited the room.

* * *

Over the next hour Stefan and Caroline had been talking amongst themselves. It was easy to do since the Gemini Coven started blasting music into the hall.

"What is going on with Damon?" Caroline questioned.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked.

"Who is he?"

"My brother."

"Don't be a smartass. I'm serious," she said looking over her shoulder at the older Salvatore.

"I wasn't," he laughed. "This is the Damon I admired and wanted to be like growing up."

"The selflessness isn't an act. This is really about getting Bonnie back?"

"Yes. Completely."

"Stefan, what happened over there?" Caroline asked.

"Damon and Bonnie got to really know each other. None of us with our drama interrupting. They became friends," Stefan explained.

"Friends?"

"That's what he said."

"He seems..." Caroline began.

"Intense," Stefan finished. She nodded. "I know but I can't say, "hey Damon are you sure you didn't like fall in love with Bonnie while you were trapped in Hell?" He'd snap my neck."

"But, if he did then you would know for sure that he did fall in love with her," Caroline plotted.

"Think of another plan. I don't want my neck snapped, Caroline."

"Fine, but that was a good one."

"It's stupid," Enzo said, his voice startling them.

"What?" Stefan asked.

"I was sitting just there," Enzo said pointing to a chair a couple of feet away. "I heard everything and I felt like you needed some help."

"Pass," Caroline said with a bitch smirk.

"Don't worry sweetheart, my help comes for free," he said with a grin as he joined them. "Anyway, I think you're right Caroline."

"About?"

"Damon falling in love with the beautiful Bonnie," he answered.

"Why?" Stefan asked.

"He's determined. I know now that if he hadn't turned off his emotions that night at Whitmore he would have died in that fire trying to save me," Enzo said looking across the room at his friend. "When he cares about someone and they're in danger he'll stop at nothing to save them."

"He right," Stefan said. "He was the one that brought her back the first time."

"Oh my God!" Caroline said turning in her chair to look at him. "Damon Salvatore has a heart."

"But what about Elena?" Stefan questioned.

"What about her, mate? She erased Damon. It's time for him to move on," Enzo answered.

"Elena can do better than Damon. They make each other horrible," Caroline said turning back to the two of them. Enzo cut his eyes at Stefan, who was staring at Elena.

"Don't be so obvious, Stefan," Enzo teased.

"Shut up," Stefan said rolling his eyes. Caroline and Enzo laughed just as the doors reopened. It was that guy Jeffery.

"Everything is prepared. Please follow me," he said before turning and leaving the room.


	5. It's not about Elena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey guys! How is everyone doing during this hiatus? I'm making it, I guess. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. The next chapter should (hopefully) be up soon. It starts off with Miss Bennett. ******
> 
> ****Happy Reading!** **
> 
> ******COMMENTS = LOVE** ** **
> 
> ****_Disclaimer on previous chapters._ ****
> 
> ****
> 
> THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.
> 
> ****
> 
> ****

The group followed Jeffery back outside to the green lawn in front of the building they were inside. Once everyone was outside, he continued and he led them to where the entire coven was standing in a circle around a stone dial. It looked identical to the Ascendent.

"What's all this?" Damon asked Andrew who was standing in the center of the dial.

"This is us helping you...against our better judgment," he said flatly. "Here," he said handing the Ascendent to Damon; he also handed him a small vile. "Blood of a Bennett witch."

"Who?" Elena questioned her voice taut.

"Shelia Bennett," Anna answered. "Bennetts are different. They do not have to be alive for their blood to work. They are born magical, when they die their blood, if there is any left on Earth remains as such," she explained roughly.

Damon handed the mechanical gadget and the blood to Jo. She nodded and moved to the middle of the Ascendent shaped dial.

"Be careful, Elena," Jeremy said wrapping her into a hug. They had decided as a group that Jeremy, Tyler and Luke would stay behind; just in case.

"You too," she said.

Luke hugged Jo then his twin, "Be careful. Seriously," he said squeezing her. Liv nodded, releasing him.

"He's right," Tyler said stepping in front of the blonde. "Be careful."

"You too," Liv said her eyes wide.

"If, big if, that happens I'm cool with it," Tyler said. "Seriously. Being a werewolf is who I'm supposed to be, you know. I'll be fine. Take care of everyone." she nodded and returned to the group.

_Jo held her hand out with the Ascendent in_ _it_ _, Ric placed his hand under hers, the_ _n_ _Caroline under his, Stefan under hers, Elena under his, Liv under hers, Enzo under hers and Damon last. Jo took a deep breath before_ _she_ _tipped a small amount of blood onto the mechanical dial._

_"_ _ _Sangina Mearma, Ascendarum Cavea__ _,"_ _she chanted_ as the bright sky darkened and the moon slid seamlessly over the sun and shone a bright white light over them. There was a bit of a rumble and everyone felt as if they were being tugged through space by the seat of their pants.

Tyler blinked rapidly at the space that had just held his friends. He fished into his pocket and pulled out his phone, "Where are you?"

"Where you guys told me to be," Matt said on the other end. "The Salvatore Crypt."

"Alright. They're over there. I don't know for how long or where they'll come back to, but keep me posted," Tyler said his eyes watching the shifty Gemini Coven.

"You too, Ty," Matt said before ending the call. As Tyler was sliding his phone back into his pocket, Jeremy stepped to his side.

"You got a weird feeling about this?" the young Gilbert asked.

"Crazy weird," Tyler answered as he and Jeremy stood on either side of Luke.

"Claudite ostium, nunc. Et dicetis haec in malum. Custodite spectris de praeterito abscondita," the coven chanted their hands outstretched toward the still shining beam of pearly light.

"What are they doing?" Jeremy asked as he watched the light begin to fade.

"Stop!" Luke cried. "Josette and Liv are in there!" he called out. They all seemed to ignore him and continued to chant. "Dad!" No answer.

"What now?" Tyler asked angrily.

"There's a spell that might work to overpower them but it's just me," Luke informed them.

"Meaning?" Jeremy asked.

"Meaning, I don't know how successful I'm going to be against all of them so if you and chisel chest over here have got something to add, feel free," Luke responded as he turned his back to the two of them and held his hands outstretched toward the white light. "Audi me spiritus. Custodi januam apertam. Sit eclipsis lunae inluminabit," he chanted and the silvery light grew stronger for a moment.

"What now?" Tyler asked as he looked around at many members of the Coven.

"When Bonnie does magic, if she gets distracted, the spell breaks," Jeremy said.

"Great but there are an ass load of them," Tyler commented.

"I've got that covered. You just put some of that muscle to use and tackle some people," Jeremy said extending his arm.

"What the hell are you going to do?" Tyler inquired; but Jeremy didn't answer with words. He made a fist and _-swish-_ that guy Jeffery hit the ground with a scream, a wooden stake protruding from his shoulder.

"What'd you think was in this backpack?" Jeremy chuckled as he reached into the bag, pulled out another stake, loaded it into the arm crossbow and fired again.

* * *

 

"Where are we?" Caroline asked opening one of the eyes she had closed.

"The border," Jo answered. They all looked over at the familiar sign that welcomed them to Mystic Falls.

"Let's go," Damon said crossing the border toward town. Everyone followed. "Alright, I think it's a good idea to split up."

"Why?" Ric asked.

"We'll cover more ground," Damon snapped. "Are you sure your qualified to be a professor?" he asked with a quirk of his eyebrow. "Anyway, Stef, you're with me. Elena, you go with Caroline and Jo. Ric you go with Liv and Enzo. Cell phones don't work so after an hour everyone meet back at the boarding house." The group nodded their understanding. When Mystic Falls came into view they split off into groups and began to scour the town. Stefan and Damon headed toward the boarding house.

"Damon, can I ask you something?" Stefan inquired as they walked the familiar road toward their home.

"What?" the older Salvatore asked.

"What are we doing here?" he questioned. The conversation that he, Caroline and Enzo had had before they were beamed to 1994 was still very much in his mind.

"Bonnie," Damon answered plainly.

"Yeah but why are you trying so hard to save her?" Stefan petitioned. Damon cut his eyes at him.

"Seriously?" his brother deadpanned. "It's Bonnie and she sacrificed herself for me. I owe her."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I mean, Bonnie's died a few times now and it's always you fighting to bring her back."

"What's your point?"

"Is it purely selfish or are you doing this for Elena?" Stefan asked, intrigued by this brother's responses. Damon was silent as they pushed the door of the boarding house open.

"It's not for Elena," he muttered as he flashed into the house. Stefan smirked as he followed suit. About 30 minutes later they both returned to the front door.

"Nothing," Stefan said. Damon narrowed his eyebrows. Stefan followed him as he marched toward the study. The youngest Salvatore watched his brother pour himself a drink, pace the floor, throw the drink back then repeat the steps all over while they waited for the other to arrive. At the faint sound of footsteps, Damon flashed into the hallway.

"Anything?" he asked, craning his neck trying to see if Bonnie was with any of them.

"No," Elena said tearfully. "Our group checked our old neighborhood.

"We checked the school," Ric said as they all headed toward the study.

"Fine," Damon said slamming his glass down. "Me, Stefan, Ric, Enzo and Liv will check the woods. Elena, you guys check the grocery store and the hospital," he barked. Everyone nodded and followed him outside.

"Where are we meeting this time, mate?" Enzo asked.

"The hospital," he answered. "Oh, and if we find that dick Kai and no Bonnie. I'm killing all of you," Damon said casually, making eye contact with each of the Parkers before he bolted off into the woods to begin his search.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N2: So, because the spells they use on TVD are a hodge-podge of a 1000 languages thrown together all of my spells are in Latin unless I pull them directly from the show.
> 
> **Jo's Spell: From TVD**
> 
>  
> 
> **Gemini Coven Spell:**
> 
> Claudite ostium, nunc - Close the door now
> 
> Et dicetis haec in malum – Lock in the evil
> 
> Custodite spectris de praeterito abscondita - Keep the ghosts of the past hidden
> 
>  
> 
> **Luke's Counter Spell:**
> 
> Audi me spiritus - Spirits hear me
> 
> Custodi januam apertam – Keep the door open
> 
> Sit eclipsis lunae inluminabit – Let the the eclipse moon shine


	6. You coming or what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for all of the love. I truly appreciate it. So, here is chapter 6, my lovelies. A lot get covered in this chapter and personally I think that Steroline and Enzo the Bamon Fanpeople are great!**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
> **And always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
> _**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own: The Vampire Diaries, any characters, places, spells or anything else you can find in that world.** _
> 
> **THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ALL REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.**

* * *

Bonnie sat hiding in a supply closet in the hospital. Her wound from that damn arrow wasn't getting any better and she had no idea where Kai was. Tears began to form in her eyes and threatened to spill over as she tried to piece the Ascendent back together. She wasn't sure why because she didn't have any magic and she didn't feel save enough to try and run to Grams' house for a grimoire. Bonnie put her head against the wall, closed her eyes and let the tears fall. What was the point in holding them in? No one was there was there to see her moment of weakness; to see her moment of hopelessness.

Her eyes snapped opened when she heard footsteps and a muffled voice in the hallway. She shoved the broken Ascendent into her pocket and grabbed the scalpel she had picked up in the E.R. and went and stood by the door. Bonnie didn't know what was happening. A thousand thoughts were racing through her head in that moment. Maybe Kai found some magic somewhere and duplicated himself to make it easier to find her, maybe it was the Gemini Coven coming to look for Kai and to kill anyone who knew about him. She didn't know but she knew that she was going to fight to death if that's what it meant to be free.

Bonnie's breath caught in her throat when she heard the voice clear as day.

"Please Bonnie, be here," Caroline said aloud. It was clear she was talking to herself but Bonnie knew that voice. Tears brimming, breathing labored, the green eyed girl eased the door open and peeked out. There she was. Tall, blonde and beautiful as ever.

"Caroline?" Bonnie managed to push out on a shaky voice. Caroline had walked past the supply closet. She was going to loop back down the hallway and check it then. She stopped in her tracks when she heard Bonnie's voice. She had began to get discouraged that they wouldn't find her; that Kai had killed her and they were going to end up on a revenge mission but she had heard her. Bonnie. She hadn't turned around yet but she knew it was best friend. "Caroline, please look at me."

"Oh my God," Caroline whispered as she turned. She flashed down the hallway, directly in front of Bonnie and wrapped her arms around her. Both girls stood crying and embracing each other when Jo and Elena came around the corner. Elena, who had been talking stopped mid-sentence and mid-step.

"B-B-Bonnie?" Elena asked, tears already streaming down her face. Bonnie nodded and within seconds the girls were sharing a three-way hug. "I can't believe this!"

"How did you guys get here?" Bonnie asked, still embracing her friends.

"Bonnie, this is Jo Laughlin. She's a doctor and a witch," Elena explained. "We used an Ascendent and came to bring you home."

"Good," Bonnie laughed and the wound in her side ached a little.

"We've missed you so much," Caroline said wiping her eyes. "You have no idea."

"I have a pretty good idea," Bonnie shrugged.

"Bonnie! Where the hell are you?" Damon's voiced boomed through the empty halls. Caroline moved behind her friend and Elena remained beside her when Damon, Stefan, Ric and Liv rounded the corner.

"I'm right here," she said tearfully. Damon was gobsmacked. There she was. Bonnie. The feelings of being lonely, lost and wanting had all but disappeared as he watched her run down the hallway toward him. It was really Bonnie.

Stefan and Caroline beamed at each other as they watched the Bonnie and Damon reunion unfold. When they had all met at the boarding house and Damon had made that oath to kill the Parkers if they didn't find Bonnie, Stefan filled her in on the conversation that he and his brother had had during their walk to the house.

Damon decided to meet her at the halfway point. He flashed there and she crashed into his solid body. She felt like home in his arms. He kissed the top of her head and pulled her in closer. He quickly let go when she winced.

"What's wrong?" he questioned as he began to give her the once over. He lifted her shirt and saw the bloody gauze.

"Arrow," she whispered before falling to her knees.

"Bonnie..." Damon said concern in his voice as he dropped to his knees beside her. Everyone else had gathered around them.

"Let me look," Jo said kneeling and beginning to examine Bonnie. "She's lost a lot of blood but her wherewithal to cover the wound stopped any possible infection."

"Fix it," Damon demanded.

"I can't. The wounds needs to be cleaned properly and she needs to be stitched up," Jo said in a raised voice.

"Fix it! Or I will," the eldest Salvatore requested with an edge to his voice. The air among them was thick with anticipation as Damon and Jo had a stare down. He didn't understand why she was being difficult about this. She had magic why the hell wouldn't she just use it. Bonnie needed to be strong enough to get her own magic back.

"Lay her down," Jo sighed finally giving in. Damon did as he was told. Jo lifted Bonnie's shirt and Liv joined them on the floor. The sisters placed her hands over the bloody hole in Bonnie's abdomen, nodded and began to chant,

"Phasmatos mederi spiritus, corpus plene vulneratus." A soft, white light appeared beneath their hands. "Phasmatos mederi spiritus, corpus plene vulneratus," they chanted again. "Phasmatos mederi spiritus, corpus plene vulneratus." The group watced a the wound grew smaller and smaller until it was completely gone.

"Thank you," Bonnie said with a gentle smile.

"You alright?" Damon asked.

"I'm fine," she said rising to her feet.

"Good, I've got something for you," the oldest Salvatore said reaching into the backpack on Stefan's back.

"Miss Cuddles! You did find her," Bonnie beamed.

"Of course I did. I'm Damon," Damon smirked. They all watched as Bonnie took Miss Cuddles in her hands and closed her eyes.

"Lectos espiritox," she chanted as a white glow covered her body and a strong wind blew through the corridors of the hospital.

"Did it work?" Elena asked. Bonnie responded by causing all the lights to flicker and the doors to slam.

"It worked," Stefan laughed. Bonnie smiled and hugged the rest of the group. She was having a feeling that she hadn't felt in a very long time. The feeling of home. Seeing Stefan, Ric, Elena and Caroline again made her heart swell with joy. She had momentarily lost hope but she was reunited with her friends and all hope was restored. But then there was Damon. Seeing him again was surreal. They had been together for so long and then she sent him home beginning her solitude; but now he was here. In living color. Hugging her and genuinely happy to see her.

"Alright, let's go find Kai," Damon said firmly. The gang made their way to the entrance.

"Where the hell is Enzo?" Caroline asked looking around the group.

"He ran off right after you guys left," Stefan said.

"Well, he better show up at the house or he's Kai's new roommate," Damon said as he pushed the door open and they stepped into the sunlight.

"Oh my..." Elena said trailing off, her gaze across the parking lot. Everyone followed where she was looking and coming across the lot, a rope thrown over his shoulder was Enzo.

"Where the hell you been?" Damon called.

"Hunting," Enzo called back. The closer he got to them, they realized that he had Kai hogtied and was dragging him behind him. "Homicidal douchebag was on the menu." Damon helped Enzo lift Kai and throw him on the back of a truck.

"I'll drive this one," Damon said holding the passenger side door open. Elena stepped but Damon held his hand out to Bonnie. "You coming or what?" She cut her eyes at Elena before taking his hand and climbing into the truck. Damon shut the door and zoomed around to the other side.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N2:
> 
> Spells:
> 
> Phasmatos mederi spiritus, corpus plene vulneratus - Heal this wounded body completely
> 
> Lectos espiritox - Spell via TVD Wikia, no translation
> 
> **Also, when I first wrote about Jo invoking her magic I looked up the spell but it wasn't on the wikia, but when I went back looking for something else, I saw someone had added it. So for our universe. Bonnie could say this two word spell because she's a Bennett; therefore better than the Parkers.**


	7. He Can't Hurt Me, Damon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey guys! So, here is the next chapter for your reading pleasure. In this one, I took the opportunity to show that Bonnie is a little different than the chick they knew before. This chapter ends on a bit of a cliffie but all will be revealed in the next update. Speaking of, the next update, they get back to the present so yay! I hope you enjoy this one!**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
> **And always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
> **Disclaimer the same as always.**
> 
> **
> 
> THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.
> 
> **

"Enzo! Ride with me and Stefan," Caroline said linking her arms into theirs. They climbed into a mid-size car, which Stefan hot-wired, and followed the truck back to the boarding house. "Oh my God! Did you see that?" Caroline asked from the backseat.

"Miss Gilbert seemed upset," Enzo commented.

"I don't know why," Caroline said. "It's not like her and Damon are dating. She erased him or whatever."

"It's not the first time Damon's been chivalrous to Bonnie," Stefan said from behind the wheel.

"Maybe not but it's the first time he picked someone else over Bonnie," Caroline commented.

"Well, what's going to happen now?" Enzo questioned.

"If I know Elena, drama," the blonde in the back said, rolling her eyes.

"Caroline," Stefan sighed.

"No Stefan," she said, blue eyes shining. "I've known Elena my entire life. Everything has been about Elena; _for Elena_. It's gross. Especially since Bonnie had lost so much."

"What do you mean?" Enzo asked as they turned into the driveway of the boarding house.

"Long story short, Bonnie's Grams is dead because of Elena..."

"That's not true," Stefan interrupted.

"It is true. Bonnie wasn't going to help Damon but _Elena_ convinced her to and to get Grams to help," Caroline said matter of factly. "Then Bonnie's mom got turned into a vampire _for Elena_." Enzo looked to Stefan.

"What?" he asked.

"I was just waiting for you rebuttal, mate."

"Shut up, Enzo," Stefan said turning the car off.

"Help me with this bastard," Damon called out as the three of got out of the car. "You sure you're ok?" he asked Bonnie who was standing beside the tailgate.

"Better than ever," Bonnie smiled. That was the truth. She was better than she had been in a long time. Her magic was restored, her and her friends reunited. It was a good day. Damon returned her smile and dropped the tailgate.

"Ahh, ello poppet," Enzo said smirking at Bonnie. "Nice to see you again."

"You too, Enzo," Bonnie smiled, rolling her eyes playfully.

"You done?" Damon asked, his eyes locked on Enzo.

"Yeah, let's go," he smiled. Damon reached in and slide Kai to the end of the bed.

"Easy with the merchandise, _Damon_ ," Kai remarked.

"You're talking because..." Damon said as he, Stefan and Enzo carried him inside.

"Where we going with him?" Stefan asked.

"Study," Damon answered. "We'll put him in Uncle Mason's chair," he said cutting his eyes to a blushing Bonnie. Caroline nudged both Stefan and Enzo. They threw Kai down in the chair.

"It's still strange that you have chains in the basement," Bonnie said as Elena and Caroline lugged in the very same chains that she and Damon used to lock down Mason.

"I'm kinky like that," Damon smirked. Bonnie rolled her eyes and used her magic to untie the rope and as Damon wrapped the thick chains around Kai and the chair.

"Here let me help," Elena volunteered. Caroline rolled her eyes as Damon handed Elena some chains to wrap around Kai's legs.

"Well, this is cozy," Kai said. "Got back to save the day, huh Damon? Good on ya! I knew you had it in you."

"Shut up," the eldest Salvatore said.

"That was rude. So you gonna introduce me to your friends?" Kai questioned, his eyes falling on Ric, Stefan, Caroline and Elena.

"No, but there are some people here who want to...get reacquainted," Damon said with a quirk of the eyebrow. Kai's mouth curved into an evil grin when Jo and Liv stepped into his line of vision.

"Josette and Olivia," Kai said in a slick tone. "It's nice to see you alive, Jo," he said, "and you don't seem fucked up at all after seeing your siblings gutted, Liv."

" _Our_ siblings, Kai," Liv spat, her arms folded across her chest.

"Right, right. Of course," he nodded. "So, what's with the family reunion? You should have told me you were stopping by. I would've bought chips."

"We came to rescue Bonnie," Jo said, "and make sure you don't get out."

"And you think that chains are going to hold me?" he asked smugly. "Nothing could ever hold me. That's why dear old mom and dad kept having you little brats," he spat, his eyes locked on Liv. "It wasn't fair. _I_ was supposed to lead. Mom, dad, the whole coven. They were all just jealous that I would have been more powerful then they ever could be. Jo and I would have been awesome but I wasn't allowed to do magic. I was to dangerous."

"It's nobody's fault that you're a piss-poor excuse of a witch but it's entirely your fault that you're a piss-poor brother," Ric said as Kai ended his rant about being treated unfairly.

"You must be the boyfriend," Kai grinned devilishly. Ric was silent. "Oh, is this the part where I'm supposed to give you that whole, "treat my sister right or I'll kill you" speech? Oh, well, I don't care about the first part but I will kill you."

"No you won't," Bonnie spoke up. She stepped in front of Kai and was about to touch him when Damon grabbed her arm.

"Wait. We're not making that mistake again," he said.

"He can't hurt me, Damon," Bonnie said." Damon nodded and watched her reach out to touch her. Kai reached up and grabbed Bonnie's forearm. Enzo, Damon and Stefan made a move but stopped when they heard Bonnie chant, " _Ah Sha Lana._ " Kai screamed in pain and released her. "Do that again and I won't stop," Bonnie said coldly before she placed her hands on either side of the chained man's head. After a few moments she stepped back.

"No magic," she said to the room at large. "Let's go," she said without giving Kai another look.

"Have a nice afterlife, douche," Damon said as he snapped Kai's neck. Everyone looked at him. "What?" he shrugged as he led them from the room.

"Show-off," Enzo chuckled.

"Wait," Bonnie said stopping right outside the door.

"Why? Let's just go home," Elena said, her arm linked in her friend's.

"You guys don't get it," she said softly. "Kai can't truly die in this dimension. I just don't want him to get out."

"What do you wanna do?" Caroline asked.

"Lock him inside," Bonnie answered firmly.

"But if he does get free, he'll just absorb the magic and he'll get out anyway," Damon commented.

"Yeah, I know that if he touches something magicked he can absorb it but I know a binding spell and without magic he won't be able to break it." she explained.

"Then do it," Damon spoke up. Bonnie nodded and turned back to face the house.

" _Benedicite spiritus, et imprimetur signum, usque ad locum istum mihi linea finita,_ " she chanted her hands outstretched the front door. The wind whipped around and the clouds moved swiftly across the sky. Bonnie put her hands down and took a deep breath. She put her hands back up and began to chant again, " _Liga eam in loco hoc, quod consumet magica. No magia effugerit._ " There was a loud thud and Bonnie put her hands down. "I'm ready," she said turning around to face everyone. Damon held the car door open for her.

"Where to?" Stefan asked.

"Clearing, deep in the woods. There's a giant hole in the ground," Damon answered.

"I saw that when I tracked him down earlier," Enzo commented.

"Alright, let's go," Damon said climbing into the car. "You alright?" he asked once he was seated next to Bonnie inside the car.

"I'm good," she said glancing back toward the boarding house. "Can we make a stop before we head out to the woods?"

"Sure," Damon said as his beautiful car rumbled to life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2: So, did you enjoy this chapter? Let me know!**
> 
> **Translations:**
> 
> **Qetsiyah's Pain Infliction Spell** : From the TVD Wikia, no translation.
> 
> **Ah Sha Lana**
> 
> **Locking Spell** : There's a locking spell on the TVD Wikia but it's from TO and in French so I made my own.
> 
> **Benedicite spiritus, et imprimetur signum, usque as locum istum mihi linea finita**
> 
> \- Spirits seal this place until my line has ended
> 
> **Binding Spell** : There are a bunch of binding spells on the TVD Wikia but none for what I needed so this is mine.
> 
> **Liga eam in loco hoc, quod consumet magic. No magia effugent**
> 
> \- Bind the magic that consumes this place. No magic escapes it.


	8. Later Bitches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey guys! So, this chapter is a little shorter than the others but I like where this one ended. As soon as I post this chapter, I'm going to start on chapter 9 so as a thank you for the love you've show this fic, here's a tiny hint at what's coming in the next few chapters.**
> 
> **Bonnie returns to college with some struggles, the Gilberts have a bout of jealousy, Bonnie and Damon grow closer, The Bamon Fanpeople try to see if their theories are correct, Bonnie gets hit with sudden bouts of dizziness and a big bad is revealed. (Not in that order.)**
> 
>   **Also, I feel that I would be remiss in not talking about that Bamon hug! That hug was everything! E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G! They were reunited and our babies were so happy to see each other. If that's shit not love, I don't know what is!**
> 
>   **So, anyway, enjoy this one, guys!**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
> **And as always, REVIEWS = LOVE!**
> 
> **DISCLAIMER ON PREVIOUS CHAPTERS.**
> 
> __  
> ****
> 
> **THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.**
> 
>   
> 

When Damon stopped the car in front of Sheila Bennett's house, he glanced at her granddaughter in the passenger seat.

"Thank you for this," Bonnie smiled as she pushed her door open.

"No problem but uh, what are we doing here?" Damon asked as he got out and shut his door.

"I wanted to get some things," she answered. "Grab that backpack off the back seat please," she said as she climbed the porch steps. He reached back in and grabbed the bag that once held Miss Cuddles and joined her on the porch.

"Here," he said handing it to her. She smiled as she turned the knob and the door slid open. Damon watched her step over the threshold and pause. Bonnie turned to him and held her hand out.

"Come in," she said. Damon raised an eyebrow and intertwined his fingers with hers. She went to move but Damon was still. "What?"

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"What?"

"You can take it back, Bon. The invite."

"Damon, I'm..." she began.

"I'm serious. You don't have to do this," he told her truthfully.

"Damon," Bonnie sighed. "Come in," she said softly pulling him inside.

"What are we doing here?"

"I want to take some of grimiores."

"Hoping to learn something new?" Damon questioned as he helped load up the bag.

"I think I found a spell I want to try when we get back," she answered. "And you should never stop learning, Damon," Bonnie chuckled. Damon shot her a sideways smile.

"You got everything you need?" Damon asked as he slung the backpack over his shoulder.

"One more thing," Bonnie said grabbing something off an end table in the living room. He watched as she examined a round picture frame.

"What's that?"

"Me and my Grams."

"Couldn't you get that in the real world?" he asked looking at the photo of Bonnie and her grandmother when Bonnie was about two years old.

"Uh no," she said quickly brushing away a tear. "My dad and Grams got into agreement when I was two because my mom had left me with Grams because she had to go out of town or something. I know now that she had already heard about Klaus and she was preparing herself for the spell and for her new life in North Carolina," she said as she began explaining. "Anyway, I wasn't home when he got there and there was no note so he accused Grams of taking me and sending Abby away for something so that they would fight."

"Had your Grams did something like that before?" Damon asked as he followed Bonnie out of the house.

"No, of course not but Rudy was not the most...level-headed guy. At least not when it came to Abby," Bonnie said as he opened the car door for her. "He didn't believe her when she told him that it was Abby's choice not to leave a note and that she had nothing to do with it. He grabbed the closet thing to him and threw it into the fireplace."

"He burned a picture of you and your grandmother?" Damon asked as he sped toward the woods.

"Yeah," she sighed. "I don't know if I ever actually forgave him for that." They drove the rest of the way in silence. When they arrived at the tree line they made the hike to the hole and then joined the others.

"You ready?" Ric ask putting his hand on Bonnie's shoulder.

"Ridiculously so," she chuckled. When she went to stab herself in the hand with the Ascendent but Damon stopped her. "What?" He answered her by biting into the fleshiest part of her hand. Stefan leaned around Damon to look at Caroline who was watching the exchange with wide eyes. Bonnie dripped her blood over the mechanical dial and everyone joined hands and made sure they were inside the white light. _"_ _Sangrina Mearma, Ascendarum Cavea. Sangrina Mearma, Ascendarum Cavea._ " Bonnie chanted and with a sudden tug, the white light consumed everyone and within seconds they were all standing in the center of the stone dial.

"Bonnie?" Jeremy said with a shaky voice.

"What the hell happened here?" Stefan asked looking around the manicured lawns at the Gemini Coven.

"Hey, Jer," Bonnie smiled as he wrapped her in a tight hug. Caroline watched Damon's spine stiffen as the two embraced.

"What happened?" Ric asked.

"They were trying to trap you guys," Luke answered. "We stopped them."

"You're welcome," Tyler chimed in as he quickly embraced Bonnie who had just been released by the younger Gilbert.

"Thanks, Ty," Bonnie smiled. "I can't believe I'm here."

"Believe it," Damon said in her ear. She smiled as the coven began to rouse and return to their feet.

"Did you retrieve the Bennett witch?" Anna questioned as she pulled a wooden stake from her shoulder.

"I'm here," Bonnie said stepping forward.

"We allowed your friends you bring you home even though we put our coven at great risk," Andrew said stepping up beside his sister.

"I appreciate that...I think," the young witch said with a glance at her friends.

"Thank you," Jo spoke up. "but why did you try to trap us in?"

"There was no guarantee that Malachai would not escape," Anna said.

"Well, he's trapped," Bonnie snapped. "You're welcome." Anna and Andrew looked at her surprised at her attitude. "Can we go please?"

"Yeah," Damon said. He and Bonnie began to walk away and the rest of the group followed.

"Later bitches," Tyler said, who was bringing up the rear.


	9. I'll Never Mind Spending Time with You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey guys! I'm glad you guys are enjoying Rescue Mission. I love all of the reviews, faves and follows. So, because my internet crapped out a little, I had a lot of time on my hands so I've two chapters for ya'll! Let me know what you think about this one and I'll post the next one in a few hours.**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
> **And as always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
> _Disclaimer: I do NOT own: The Vampire Diaires, TV or books, any characters, places, words or phrases from either._
> 
> **
> 
> THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIZES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.
> 
> **

Bonnie Bennett sat in the middle of Caroline and Elena on the plane ride back to Virginia. The two of them wasted no time filling Bonnie in on everything that had been happening at school. It was nice to be around her friends again. Everyone looked good and happy and that was all she had hoped they were.

When they landed and everyone got back to Whitmore, Bonnie told her friends to meet her and Damon at the border leading to their hometown.

When Damon and Bonnie arrived at the border everyone was there waiting for them.

"What's going on?" Matt asked as he wrapped Bonnie into a warm hug.

"I have a gift for everyone," Bonnie answered, releasing him. "Will you help me?" she asked him.

"Yeah," Matt nodded as she began to give him candles out of the bag she was carrying.

"Place them along the border," she instructed as he handed a couple of them to Tyler and Jeremy. She reached into her bag and pulled out one of Emily's grimoires. Caroline took it as Bonnie flipped through it. "Thanks," she said to the blonde. Bonnie found the spell she was looking for and suddenly the candles were lit. " _Redde statera, O magiae naturalis, undo haec retorta fate,_ " Bonnie chanted. The flames shot high before the candles were extinguished. She took the book from Caroline and gently pushed her over the border.

"Bonnie, what the hell?" Caroline panicked. "I can't believe you pushed me over the anti-magic border!"

"I can't believe you're still alive," Elena said with a wide smile.

"What?" Caroline said looking around. "I'm..." she began, her blue eyes meeting Bonnie's.

"Emily had a spell for this," Bonnie informed them. "Go figure," she laughed. Elena, Stefan and Enzo all hugged Bonnie before they jumped across the line. "You going?" she asked watching Jeremy, Matt, Tyler join the other four over the line.

"You never cease to amaze me, Bon Bon," Damon smirked.

"Shut up and get over there," Bonnie said, pushing him playfully.

"Come on," he said with a jerk of his head.

"This is for you guys," she said shaking her head. Damon stood behind her and nudged her over the line. Damon laughed as Elena and Caroline grabbed Bonnie and began to dance around.

"So," Ric said stepping beside Damon.

"So what?" he asked.

"What the hell was with that bite?"

"What bite?"

"That bite that made everyone feel like they should leave the room," Ric said as they watched everyone dance around and celebrate.

"It was nothing," Damon said, avoiding eye contact.

"So, it was something," Ric chuckled.

"Don't make a big deal out of nothing, _Ric_ ," Damon said glancing at him then back at Bonnie. "I was just trying to make sure we all got home. Making sure we had enough blood."

"Yeah ok," Ric said folding his arms across his chest. "Alright you guys," he called out. "Head back to Whitmore or wherever it is you live. It's late."

"Thank you so much, Bonnie" Caroline said hugging her best friend. "I'm gonna go see my mom tonight," she said to her friends. They all nodded as she headed toward her car. Everyone hugged and started heading to their cars. Everyone hugged Bonnie again. Bonnie smiled as she watched Stefan, Enzo and Caroline drive across the border into Mystic Falls.

"You ready?" Elena said linking her arm into hers.

"Yeah," Bonnie smiled. "See ya later, Damon."

"Yeah," Damon waved as they two of them got into Elena's SUV.

"You good?" Ric asked, his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Yeah. You?" Damon asked as he watched Elena's taillights disappear.

"Yeah. Bonnie's back, the anti-magic border's gone, you're back," Ric listed. "I'm human, life's good."

"Yeah. Right," the oldest Salvatore said. "I'll catch you tomorrow," Damon said as he made his way toward his car. He missed _his_ car. He had crashed it into the Grill four months ago so there was no way he'd be getting it back but that's fine. He'd just have to pick some other badass car that oozed Damon Salvatore. He turned the engine over and waved to Ric on the way by.

* * *

Bonnie had been attending classes all week; and for whatever reason school was...harder. Not necessarily the classes themselves but all the hustle and bustle. Four months of nothing and no one and now to be thrown back into the fray was causing her to have mini freak outs. It was just weird. After her final class that week, Bonnie went straight to her dorm.

"Hey Bon," Elena said entered the large room. "You ok?"

"Not really," Bonnie answered. "I don't think..." she began but was interrupted by Caroline busting into the room

"Professor Mayhew is Satan," the blonde stated, slamming the door shut. "I was really trying to get through this semester _without_ compelling any of my professors but if he doesn't easy up with the work, I'm seeing a vacation to Bali in his future."

"Trouble in class?" Elena chuckled.

"I have to read these by next Friday," Caroline said tossing two large books on her bed. "It sucks." Elena laughed as she started unloading her own books.

"I don't think I can stay here," Bonnie blurted out.

"What?" Caroline asked shocked.

"I don't. It's...hard. I need to ease back into to this. I'm not Damon. Being a vampire is a lifetime of solitude, I don't have that," Bonnie tired to explain. "All these people all the time, it's...it's off-putting. I'm sorry, I can't stay here. I'm still going to go to school but staying here is too much for me. I need familiar surroundings. For now at least."

"You mean Mystic Falls familiar?" Caroline asked, joining Bonnie on her bed.

"Yeah, I think so," the witch nodded. "I need you guys to understand," she said holding her hand out to Elena.

"We get it, Bonnie," Elena said taking her hand. "Whatever you need to do to feel ok."

"Thank you. I love you guys," she said pulling them into a group hug. Elena and Caroline helped Bonnie pack her things. As the last of her things got put into boxes Bonnie thumbed through her phone. Things were weird now so she wasn't sure who to call.

**"Hello?" the voice on the other end said.**

**"Hey Matt, I need a favor," Bonnie said.**

**"Anything."**

**"Can you come get me? I'm moving back to Mystic Falls."**

**"Is everything ok?" he asked, concerned.**

**"I'm just a little overwhelmed," she answered.**

**"I'll be there soon."**

**"Thanks, Matt."**

**"No problem," he said before ending the call.**

About an hour later Matt showed up and the four of them loaded all of Bonnie's belongings on to the bed of his truck. Bonnie hugged her two girlfriends before Matt helped her into the cab. She waved goodbye as the truck roared to life.

"Thanks again for this," she said once the university was out of sight.

"It's not a problem," he smiled. "Where are we headed, anyway?"

"The boarding house," she answered firmly. Matt tossed a sideways glance at her but didn't question her. They rode in silence the rest of the ride there. Matt helped her unload her things in front of the door of the large house.

"You want me to stay?" he asked.

"No. I've got it," she smiled, hugging him tightly.

"Call me if you need me," Matt said releasing her. She nodded and Matt headed back to his truck. She watched him pull away. Bonnie turned back to the door, took several deep breathes before she knocked.

"Who the hell is knocking?" she heard Damon yell from inside.

"I don't know, Damon, why don't you open the door and find out," she heard Stefan yell back. She laughed to herself. Living here with the Salvatore brothers was going to be an adventure.

"What the hell?" Damon said softly after he pulled the door open.

"Hi," Bonnie smiled.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, concern etched on his brow. "Are you ok? Did something happen?"

"Damon, I'm fine. I just...I couldn't stay at Whitmore. I need to ease myself back into that life," she explained. "I need to live in familiar surroundings."

"So here?"

"Clearly."

"Who was at the door?" Stefan asked as he joined his brother in the open doorway. "Bonnie! What are you doing here?" he asked, pushing his way past Damon.

"I need to stay here," she answered.

"Then why are you still standing out here?" Stefan questioned, releasing her. He grabbed a couple of her bags and carried them inside.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Bonnie asked Damon.

"No," he whispered. He stepped out and grabbed a stack of boxes. "I'll never mind spending time with you," he said with a smile. Bonnie felt the heat rush to her cheeks. She looked away, grabbed a few more bags and followed Damon into the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2: Thank you guys for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think!**
> 
> **Translation for getting rid of the anti-magic border:**
> 
> **Redde statera O magiae naturalis, undo haec retorta fate**
> 
> Restore the balance, O natural magic, undo this twisted fate


	10. It gives me a sense of normalcy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey guys! Here it is; the second update. I hope you all enjoy it. Let me know what you think about this one. There's some stuff with the Gilberts in this one. My sister, Princess976 rolled her eyes at them so let me know if you guys have that same reaction.**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
> **Enjoy!**
> 
> **And as always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
> _Disclaimer: I do NOT own: TVD, or any characters, places. Singer's Roadhouse is all mine._
> 
> **
> 
> THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.
> 
> **

Elena ran into Bonnie the following week on campus. She had spoken to Bonnie twice over the weekend; just to check up on her.

"Hey," she said joining the witch one of the benches in the quad.

"Hey," Bonnie smiled.

"So, where are you staying?" Elena asked, pulling an apple out of her bag.

"The boarding house," Bonnie answered.

"Why?"

"It's where I stayed while I was...away."

"Oh," Elena said. "Is it helping?"

"I don't know. It's only been a few days," Bonnie said rising to her feet. "Ask me in a few days," she said before she strode off to her next class.

When Bonnie returned to the boarding house that evening, she could hear Damon and Stefan laughing. It was a good sound. The brothers didn't nearly laugh enough. None of them did.

"Hey Bon Bon," Damon said cheerily.

"Hi guys. What's going on?" she asked, joining them in the living room.

"Stefan here is the best brother that anyone could ever ask for," Damon beamed, throwing his arm around his younger brother.

"He exaggerates," Stefan said with a wide smile.

"Why's he so great?" Bonnie questioned.

"Let me show you," Damon said grabbing her hand and pulling her all the way outside to the garage. "Tada!"

"It's your car," she said smiling as she slid her fingers along the blue car.

"Yep. Stef fixed her up for me," he informed her. "Wanna go for a ride?"

"Maybe later."

"Alright."

"I'm gonna go to the Grill and grab dinner," Stefan said, appearing suddenly.

"Just the usual," Damon said. "Bonnie wants a bacon cheeseburger, no onions, mayo on both buns and lots of fries." Stefan smirked and lifted and eyebrow before looking to Bonnie for confirmation.

"That's fine," she said, rolling her eyes. Stefan nodded, got in his cherry Porsche and sped off.

Damon and Bonnie headed back inside. They were silent as she sat on the floor and began to work.

"You got any plans this weekend?" Damon asked breaking the silence.

"What?" Bonnie asked looking up from her book.

"Do you have any plans this weekend?" he asked again.

"Not that I know of," she answered. "Why?"

"I wanna take you to Singer's Steakhouse."

"Why and when?"

"A welcome back to present day Mystic Falls kind of thing and Friday night," he smirked.

"Yeah ok," she smiled. They were silent again but it was broken by the front door opening and foot steps, that they assumed belonged to Stefan.

"Hey guys," Elena's voice said. They both looked up from what they were doing and smiled at her.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked as she took a seat next to him on the leather couch.

"I came over to talk to Bonnie," she answered.

"About what?" the witch asked.

"Caroline wants to go shopping on Friday, I was charged with getting you on board," the brunette explained.

"That's cool. We can just go after class then," Bonnie said.

"That's what we were thinking," Elena said. "Um, Damon can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Yeah sure," Damon said putting his book down.

"I'll just take this stuff to my room. Call me when Stefan gets back," she said collecting her books.

"I will," the blue eyed man said, as he watched her leave the room. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to thank you for letting Bonnie stay here," Elena said, locking eyes with him. "I know you don't necessarily like people staying here."

"It's just one person and why are you thanking me?" he asked.

"You and Bonnie don't always get along," she began. "So, I was shocked when she told me that she was staying here."

"Well, her house and her Gram's house have a lot of bad memories," Damon said with a shrug. "I wouldn't want to stay there either."

"Yeah but she could have stayed with Caroline's mom or at the Lockwood house with Jeremy," Elena said. Damon looked away from her. "But I'm thankful that she has you. You guys went through this horrible thing together. Maybe you can help her get used to being back."

"I can try," Damon said softly, looking at his hands.

"Thank you," Elena said putting her hand on his back. "It really does mean a lot." Damon looked at her again and saw the sincerity in her brown eyes.

"I'm back," Stefan interrupted. "Oh, sorry. Where's Bonnie?"

"Upstairs," Damon said. "I'll get her," he said getting off the couch.

"I'll go. I'm assuming there's not enough there for me," she said pointing at the white paper bags.

"No," Stefan said. "What are you doing here?"

"I was here to see Bonnie but I had to talk to Damon too," she told him.

"Oh," he said.

"I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, Stefan," Elena said as she left the house. A few minutes later, Bonnie and Damon came in to the kitchen where Stefan is fixing up plates.

* * *

On Wednesday, Bonnie was walking across the Whitmore campus when she heard her name; turning she saw Jeremy Gilbert jogging toward her.

"Hey Jer," she said when he caught up.

"Hey. How are you?" he asked as they began walking.

"Good. It's weird being back but I'm good. What are you doing here?" she asked.

"We haven't really talked since you've been back, you know," he said. "You got time?"

"Yeah, my next class isn't for another hour or so," she answered as she led him to one of the benches. "What's up?"

"So, Elena told me that you moved out of the dorm," Jeremy said.

"Yeah, I couldn't deal with the hectic stuff out here and then deal with dorm life. Too many people," Bonnie explained.

"How are you supposed to assimilate if you don't stay here and try?" he asked looking into her eyes. Bonnie was, at the moment, at a loss for words. What was to get? Being in solitude, fighting for your life every single day does not prepare you for college life. It's not like she's had that much time to experience it.

"Assimilation is what I'm trying to achieve," she said. "Did you just come here to lecture me, Jeremy because if you did, you're wasting your breathe."

"No. I'm not trying to lecture you. I just don't get it."

"It's not for you to get."

They were silent for a long moment.

"You're right," he said finally. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she said, gazing out over the manicured lawns.

"Bonnie, before you and Damon...you know...you broke up with me," Jeremy said, turning on the bench to face her.

"I know," Bonnie whispered.

"You're back now. We can be together," he said. She could hear the hopefulness in his voice but she didn't share his enthusiasm about getting back together. It had taken Damon of all people for her to realize that she and Jeremy was tired and being back in the present made her see that being with him was a step backward into the Old Bonnie and she wasn't that girl anymore.

"No we can't," Bonnie said, looking him in the eyes.

"What?"

"No, Jeremy. I'm not the same girl I was four months ago."

"I'm not the same Jeremy," he said.

"But you are," Bonnie said. "Caroline wasted no time telling me about how you "grieved" for me."

"Bonnie," Jeremy began. "Caroline doesn't get to talk about anyone and how they grieved. She didn't grieve at all. She just started trying to get you guys back."

"That's who she is," Bonnie spat. "When her dad left, she started planning his welcome home dinner. Caroline doesn't deal with loss well, so her brain doesn't let her deal with it in ways that most people do but at least she didn't drink herself into oblivion and screw everything this side of the Wickery Bridge."

"You were gone," he said softly.

"And I'm not judging you, Jer. I ended things with you so that you could move on," she told him. "But I had a lot of time to think and you and me...it just doesn't sound that good to me anymore."

"I'm not going to give up on us, you know?"

"You wouldn't be Jeremy if you did."

"Ok, so I have to work to get you back, that's fine but that doesn't explain why you're staying at the boarding house," he said.

"While we were over there, the boarding house became like a...safe haven. It gives me a sense of normalcy," she said.

"You should come stay at Tyler's," Jeremy said.

"Why?" Bonnie asked.

"The boarding house is dangerous and Damon is a dick."

"He says the same thing about you."

"But he's wrong," he said. "I just want you to be safe."

"I am safe," she said, rising to her feet. "I appreciate you, looking out for me, or whatever but I'm good where I am," Bonnie said before she turned and walked away. As she got to the sidewalk, she lost her footing and almost hit the ground.

"You ok?" Jeremy asked, his strong arms catching her.

"Yeah, I just got a little dizzy," she said, holding on to his forearms.

"Are you ok?" Luke asked, rushing up to them.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm gonna bail on the rest of the day," Bonnie said, releasing Jeremy.

"Do you want me to drive you?" Jeremy asked.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks though," she said walking away from the two of them toward the parking lot.

"I gotta go Jeremy," Luke said when Jeremy opened his mouth to speak.

* * *

Bonnie spent the rest of the day in her bedroom. Her dizzy spell had caused some nausea and she just didn't want to be around people. Both Stefan and Damon had checked on her but she assured them she was fine so they left her alone. As the sky grew darker, Bonnie dressed for bed. She brushed her hair before she climbed under her blankets and drifted off to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Damon and Stefan met in the hallway.

"Do you hear that, brother?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah," Damon said his eyebrows knit together.

"Is that Bonnie?" the younger Salvatore asked.

"I think so," the older Salvatore answered, his eyes trained on Bonnie's bedroom door.

"What's going on in there?" Stefan asked but his question went unanswered. Damon zoomed down to Bonnie's room and pushed the door open. Fear consumed him as he watched the witch groaning in pain and writhe and contort on the bed.

"Bonnie!" she heard his voice call in the distance. "Wake up, Bon, come on," she heard Damon say but there was so much panic in his voice. "Damnit Bonnie, wake up!" he yelled pulling her out of her sleep.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked groggily.

"Are you ok?" Damon asked, brushing her hair out of face.

"I told I was fine earlier," Bonnie said yawning. "I was sleeping, Damon."

"You were moaning. And not the sexy kind."

"What?"

"You sounded like you were in pain," he informed her. "Don't you remember?"

"No. I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "I was dreaming about Grams."

Damon sat her up and pulled her into his arms. Stefan, who was standing in the doorway, smiled at the scene before him. Seeing his brother care for someone other than himself was refreshing. It was oddly wonderful that Damon being sucked away into the unknown had brought back the Damon that he had so desperately wanted to be growing up. He had missed him.

"Come on," Damon said standing up, holding his hand out to her.

"Where are we going?" Bonnie asked, taking his hand. Damon grabbed her pillows and led her from the room, Stefan following. Damon stopped a few doors down and allowed her to go in first. "Your room?"

"Yes, I can keep an eye on you better," he said shoving her pillows in her arms. "See ya in the morning, Stef," Damon said before closing the door. Stefan knew it was late but he couldn't help but shoot a text off to Caroline and Enzo. He knew that they would want to know about what happened to Bonnie and about how Damon cared for her.

It wasn't long before Caroline text him back, _**"**_ _ **NO WAY! HE IS SO IN LOVE!"**_ Stefan laughed as he laid his phone down on the nightstand. It went off once more before he closed his eyes. _**"I told you mate. It's love."**_ Stefan chuckled as he closed his eyes.


	11. Singer's Steakhouse? That's swanky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey guys! So here is chapter 11. I hope you guys enjoy this one. I'm currently write chapter 12 and because I'm in love with that chapter it should be up either today or tomorrow. Let me just say this about chapter 12; Holy Bamon, Batman. Ok, lol, enjoy ya'll!**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
> **And as always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
> **  
> _Disclaimer: I do NOT own: The Vampire Diaries, any characters, places, word, phrases from the books or television show, Prius, Corvette, John Varvatos. Singer's Steakhouse and Bela's Bar and Grill are mine._  
>  **
> 
> ****
> 
> **THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.**
> 
>   
> 

When Bonnie woke up the next morning she was alone in Damon's large bed. For a moment she panicked and sat up in the bed. Her mind was moving a mile a minute, trying to remember if this was a dream or if she was back in present day Mystic Falls. Bonnie climbed out of bed and made her way to Damon's open bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath.

"Even if this was all a dream and you're still stuck with Kai, you gotta shower Bon," she said aloud to her reflection. Bonnie turned away from the mirror and climbed into the hot shower. The water helped to soothe her worry and calm her mind. She wrapped her slender body in a fluffy dark gray towel and went back into the bedroom. She stood in front of Damon's double door closet with her eyes shut tight. Bonnie reached out with both hands and flung the doors open. She peeked through one eye, then broke into a happy dance when the closet was filled with dark colored T-shirts, dark wash jeans, a few leather jackets, about 50 pairs of John Varvatos boots and a few tuxes.

She closed the doors before leaving his room. Bonnie walked down the hallway and saw all of her bags sitting on the floor by the door. She dressed in skinny jeans, a faded dark blue tank top, a moss green cardigan with dark blue stitching and wedged sneakers. She grabbed her backpack and headed downstairs.

"Morning, Bonnie," Stefan said meeting her in the hallway.

"Morning. What are you doing up? It's early," Bonnie asked with a smile.

"Damon woke me up. Sent me on an errand," he commented. "He's waiting for you in the kitchen," he said before climbing the stairs. Bonnie took that as her cue to seek out the older Salvatore brother. She found him setting a plate with a stack of pancakes on it on the far side of the table.

"Hey," she said entering the room. "Smells good for once," she laughed as she watched him flip a few more pancakes on the griddle over.

"Shut up," Damon said with a smirk. "Sit down and eat."

"Damon I don't..."

"You do have time. Eat."

"Fine," Bonnie said, sliding her backpack off of her shoulder. "Only because you asked so nicely," she said in a snotty tone.

"You know you like it," Damon chuckled as he brought his plate to the table. "Wait," he said as he reached across and drew Bonnie's vampire face.

"You know I hate this," she beamed.

"I know," he smiled back. "Eat; then I have something to show you." Bonnie nodded and began to eat. After the meal and Damon had put the dishes in the dishwasher, he grabbed her backpack and held his hand out to her. She took it as he led her to the front door. "Close your eyes."

"What?" she questioned with a quirk of her eyebrow.

"Close your eyes," he repeated.

"Why?"

"Bonnie..."

"Why, Damon?" Bonnie asked sternly.

"Close your eyes, damnit," Damon said annoyed. "Don't be difficult this fucking early," he muttered as she closed her eyes. Bonnie heard the front door open and felt Damon pull her outside.

"Can I open them now?" she questioned.

"Did I say open them?" he asked. She sighed as she stood waiting. "Hold her hand out." Bonnie did as she was told and then she felt something fall in her hand.

"Damon, what's this?"

"Open your eyes now."

"It's a key," Bonnie said, turning the cool key over in her hand. "To what?" Damon pointed in the driveway behind his car. "What's that?"

"It's 1977 Corvette," Damon answered with a smile.

"You got a new car?" she questioned.

"No. _You_ got a new car," he smiled.

"What's wrong with my Prius?" Bonnie asked. "It's good for the environment."

"It's a plastic piece of crap," Damon said. "It's from Stefan."

"Why is Stefan giving me a car? I have a car."

"No, apparently Young Jeremy crashed your car in a drunken rage," Damon explained. Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"That still doesn't explain why Stefan is giving me a car," she said.

"It was Lexi's," Stefan's voice said from behind her. "She used to say a bad ass needs a bad ass car," he chuckled at the memory. "You needed a car and I thought who better to drive the car than the most bad ass witch I know?"

"Thanks, Stefan," Bonnie said hugging him. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure; she'd what you to have it," he said sadly in her ear. Bonnie held on to him tighter.

"Lexi found peace, ok? She saved me from Markos and she moved into the same light that my Grams did after she found peace," Bonnie whispered so that only Stefan could hear her. "She didn't come back because she wanted Damon to get back to you." Stefan hugged her tighter as she spoke. "She loved you, Stefan and she just wanted you to be happy," Bonnie said. She pulled the younger Salvatore closer when she heard him sniffling. "You ok?" He nodded before releasing her and going back inside the house.

"He ok?" Damon asked, his eyes still on the door.

"Yeah, he will be," Bonnie said with a gentle smile. "I better get going," she said as he walked with her to the 'Vette. He opened the door for her and she climbed in. Bonnie slid the key into the ignition and the engine purred to life. She waved goodbye to Damon as she backed out of the driveway.

* * *

The rest of the week sped by. Bonnie had had a few more of those dizzy spells but she just chalked it up to nerves or something like that. Friday afternoon she met Caroline and Elena in the dorm room.

"Caroline, are you ready?" Elena asked standing beside Bonnie at the door.

"I'm ready," Caroline said emerging from the bathroom dressed in a black floral print dress with a black belt wrapped around her waist and a yellow cardigan. She was shoving her foot into her sandal as she approached her friends. "Let's go," she beamed.

The girls piled into Elena's SUV and headed toward the mini shopping district of Mystic Falls. They moved from store to store, trying on different things, laughing at old ladies who needed to learn the definition of "age appropriateness".

As the girls shopped around, Bonnie's favorite store, Enchanted, her phone rang.

**"Hello?" she answered.**

**"Hey Bon, I just wanted to remind you about tonight," Damon's voice said on the other end.**

**"What about it?" she asked moving to stand underneath one of the speakers that was blasting music throughout the store.**

**"Dinner at Singer's," he reminded.**

**"Oh, right. What am I supposed to wear?"**

**"I don't know. Something nice."**

**"Nice? That's helpful," she chuckled.**

**"I'll catch you later," he laughed before ending the call.**

"What was that about?" Caroline asked when Bonnie rejoined her by the mini-dresses.

"Damon's taking me to dinner tonight," Bonnie shrugged.

"What? Where? Why?" the blonde grilled.

"You heard me, Singer's Steakhouse and it's a welcome-back-to-Mystic-Falls-type thing," the witch answered all of her friend's questions.

"Singer's Steakhouse? That's swanky," Caroline said.

"It is? I've never been," Bonnie said, searching the rack.

"Yeah. You have to get a reservation weeks in advance to get in there. So, what are you wearing?"

"He said something nice."

"That doesn't help," Caroline said, rolling her eyes. "I've got an idea," she said dragging Bonnie across the store. Neither of them noticed Elena slip outside.

**"Hello?" Damon's voice said as he answered his phone.**

**"Hey, it's Elena," she said.**

**"I noticed. What's up?"**

**"What are you doing tomorrow night?"**

**"Not shit. Why?" Damon said.**

**"I thought maybe we would get together and talk," Elena said sheepishly. "I think we owe it to each other and what we had." Damon was silent for a long moment.**

**"Yeah ok. Uh, I'll pick you up at 7pm," he said. "We'll go to Bela's Bar and Grill."**

**"Sounds great," she beamed. "See ya then."**

**"Bye Elena," he said ending the call.**

Elena reentered the store to find Bonnie and Caroline arguing.

"I'm not wearing that," Bonnie said, hanging the dress back on the rack.

"Why not? It's you," Caroline said picking it up again.

"It's almost completely see thru," Bonnie spat. "How does that say me?"

"Bonnie, you dummy. You wear like a cute slip dress under it," the blonde laughed. "No one's asking you to go nude," she said handing Bonnie the dress back.

"I never know with you, Care," the witch said laughing, holding the dress up to her body.

"What going on guys?" Elena asked from the other side of the rack.

"Bonnie's stupid," Caroline answered, playfully slapping Bonnie on the arm. "Where were you?"

"What?" the brunette asked, her eyes wide.

"Where were you?" Bonnie asked. "We looked up and you were gone."

"I had to make a phone call," Elena said with a smile. Caroline raised her eyebrow as Elena stepped a few racks away.

"Who'd you call?" Caroline asked stepping beside her.

"What?"

"Elena..."

"Damon, ok?" Elena said. "Listen, Care, I know how you feel about Damon but he and I really have a lot to talk about."

"You don't know how I feel about Damon actually," Caroline said.

"I do and I don't want to argue with you about it," the brunette said. "Damon and I are having dinner tomorrow night at Bela's and I just want to look nice, so if you're just going to lecture me, don't bother," she said returning to the clothes in front of her. Caroline rolled her eyes and returned to where Bonnie was standing.

The girls finished shopping and drove back to Whitmore. Bonnie grabbed her bags and climbed into her new 'Vette and traveled back to the boarding house.


	12. Endless Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey ya'll! I'm back with chapter 12. I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. The next chapter is about what's going on with Bonnie's dizzy spells, Elena and Damon's "date" and maybe some other stuff. So enjoy this one and hopefully I'll have 13 up tomorrow or the next day.**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
> **And always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
> **_Disclaimer: I do NOT own: The Vampire Diaries, any characters, places, words or phrases from the books or television show, Endless Love by Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey, Christian Louboutin, Chateau Montet Sauvignon Blanc or anything else you can find in real life. Singer's Steakhouse is all mine._ **
> 
> **ProTIP:**   
> **_Words like this are sung._**  
>  **Words like this are phone calls.**
> 
> **
> 
> THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D ARE PROOFREAD. ALL REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.
> 
> **

When Bonnie returned to the boarding house she went straight to her room. She pulled out the outfit that Caroline had helped her pick out earlier and laid it on the bed. She ran to the hall bathroom, showered, waved her short bob, kept her make-up natural and light before returning to her room.

Bonnie slid the golden rod silky slip dress that fell mid-thigh and the black long sleeve lacy dress that Caroline had picked out over top. She slipped on some gold jewelry and black strappy pumps. She checked herself out in the full length mirror that sat in the floor by the window and grabbed her black beaded clutch, that Caroline also picked out, before leaving the room and descending the stairs. She made her way to the study to wait for Damon.

"You look beautiful," Stefan said as she entered the room.

"Oh, thank you," she said looking down at herself. "It's not too much?"

"No. It's perfect," he said, pulling out his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking a picture. Stand still." Bonnie did as she was told and Stefan took his picture. "Beautiful," he smile.

"Thank you," Bonnie said shaking her head. She had no idea that he had sent that picture off to both, Caroline and Enzo.

"I'll see what keeping Damon," Stefan said before leaving the room. A few moments later the older Salvatore entered the room.

"Wow," Bonnie whispered.

"What'd you say?" Damon asked stepping in front of her. He wore an inky black suit, crisp white shirt and an inky black it. His patent leather and suede Louboutins completed the outfit perfectly.

"Nothing. You ready?" she said blushing slightly. He nodded and held his arm out to her. She linked hers with his and he lead her from the house. Damon opened the passenger side door to his car and allowed her inside. He got in behind the wheel, put the key in the ignition and the car rumbled to life. They rode in silence to the restaurant.

Damon pulled up in front of the place and a handsome young man opened Bonnie's door and helped her out. Damon tossed him the keys and took his ticket. He grabbed her hand and led her to the maîter'd.

"Good evening," the plump man with an incredibly red face said to them. "How may I help you?"

"I have a reservation for Salvatore," Damon said.

"Ahh yes, Mr. Salvatore, right this way," the man said with a nod. Damon smiled over his shoulder at Bonnie as they followed the man through the restaurant. "Your server will be right with you," he said pulling out Bonnie's chair. The table was a secluded booth in the back of the posh restaurant with a view of the lush woods.

"Thank you," Damon said with a curt smile at the man. The maîter'd nodded and returned to his post.

"This is really nice," Bonnie said smiling as she laid her napkin on her lap.

"I know, right?" he smiled.

"How'd you get in here? Caroline said it's kinda high profile."

"Well, it easy when you bump the interim mayor."

"What?" Bonnie asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah. I'm a high profile guest who would wish to remain anonymous," Damon said with a quirk of the eyebrow. "At least that's what they were supposed to tell him when he called about his canceled dinner," he chuckled.

"You realized we could've gotten burgers and beers at the Grill and I would have happy?" Bonnie said, beaming.

"Yeah I know but we've been to Hell and damnit, we deserve to be spoiled," Damon said in a matter of fact tone. Bonnie laughed.

"Good evening, I am Richard, your server. May I interest you in our fine wine selection?" the gangly ginger man asked when he came to their table.

"Why the hell not?" Damon said taking the small black folder that Richard was handing him. Damon quickly skimmed the folder before handing it back. "We'll take the Chateau Montet Sauvignon Blanc."

"Of course," Richard said. "This crisp Sauvignon Blanc features flavors of grapefruit and melon and a light body. The wine comes from the area known as Entre-Deux-Mers, famous for its dry white wines." he said turning to Bonnie before rushing off.

"He just wanted to let you know what I picked out," Damon explained at the sight of confusion on her face.

"Oh," she blushed, looking away. Bonnie picked up the menu that Richard had handed her and opened it up. She noticed a few things when she looked at it. One, there were no prices and two, everything looked amazing. When the waiter returned he pulled the cork from the bottle, held out for Damon to smell and upon his approval he poured some into their glasses.

"Thank you and what's the special tonight?" Damon questioned.

"Pan-seared chicken and scallops over linguine and cream sauce," Richard answered. "Our pasta is made fresh, every day and our signature sauce is made from fresh cream."

"Yum," Bonnie beamed as Richard smiled, nodded and fluttered away from their table.

"Would you like to dance?" Damon asked, rising from the table. Bonnie nodded and slipped her hand into his. He guided her to the dance floor then took her in his arms. They swayed slowly as the band began to play _Endless Love_ _b_ _y L_ _uther Vandross_ _and_ _Mariah Carey_. "I love this song," he said softly.

"You do?" she asked peering up at him.

"Yeah. It came out August 29, 1994," he chuckled. "I guess I just thought that the title was funny."

"Why?" Bonnie asked as he swept her across the floor.

"Endless Love? I'm a vampire; of course my love is endless," Damon answered. " _ **My love, there's only you in my life. The only thing that's bright,**_ **"** Damon sang off-key. **"** _ **My first love,**_ _ **you're**_ _ **every breath that I take. You're every step I make. And I, I want to share**_ _ **a**_ _ **ll my love with you. No one else will do;**_ _ **a**_ _ **nd your eyes, your eyes, your eyes. They tell me how much you care,**_ **"** he continued to sing badly. Bonnie smiled at him as he continued. **"** _ **Ooh yes,**_ _ **y**_ _ **ou will always be**_ _ **m**_ _ **y endless love,**_ **"** he finished, as they danced cheek to cheek.

"Don't quit your day job, Salvatore," she teased as the song played on. He chuckled, pulling her closer to his body. His left arm wrapped tightly around her waist, his right hand holding her delicate one.

"You and Stefan are the only two people in my entire life to ever hear me sing," Damon said in her ear. "Consider yourself lucky," he said as the band played the last few chords of the song. Damon led Bonnie back to the table where he held her chair out for her before taking his own seat. "I didn't say this before," he said looking across the candlelit table at her. "You look absolutely gorgeous tonight."

"Thank you," she blushed at the compliment from him. Damon never said nice things about her. Not like that. It took her by surprise. "You look handsome."

"Don't I?" he smirked. Bonnie playfully rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Bonnie," he said as Richard approached their table with their food.

Dinner was amazing. The two of them laughed and talk and, although neither of them told the other, being in one another's presence was comfortable, easy and normal; like breathing. After dinner, Damon paid and they headed outside. He compelled the valet to hold his car until he came back for it. He intertwined his hand with Bonnie's and they strolled through the square.

"This was really nice, Damon," Bonnie said as she subconsciously leaned into him. "Thank you."

"You deserve it, Bon," Damon said softly. "You don't have to thank me," he said as they continued to walk.

"So, Caroline told me that you have a date with Elena tomorrow," she said causally.

"Yeah, I guess it's a date," he said with a shrug. "So?"

"I was just saying. You guys haven't really talked since I've been back; not that I've seen," she said. "Is that what she wants to do?"

"Yeah. I guess so."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know what I'm supposed to say to her," Damon said truthfully.

"You never had that problem before," Bonnie said.

"Yeah well, it's different now," he informed her.

"Explain, 'cause I don't know what that means," she said confused.

"What has Elena told you about the time when we were...indisposed?" Damon questioned.

"Nothing really. Just that she had a really hard time dealing but she eventually got right and started dating again but it didn't work out," Bonnie answered.

"Nice," he muttered.

"What? Did she leave something out?" she asked, searching his face for answers.

"You could say that," Damon said, leading her one of the benches in the square. "Elena had vampire Ric compel me away."

"What's that mean?"

"It means she doesn't remember being in love with me."

"Oh. It didn't seem like that to me."

"Well, you missed the part where she stepped over that bullshit anti-magic border trying to bring the memories back," Damon said, avoiding her eyes. "She remembers some things."

"Oh," Bonnie said rolling her eyes slightly.

"What was that for?"

"What was what for?"

"The eye roll," he said. "You weren't that covert about it."

"I shouldn't have done that. Tell me everything," she said. Damon rehashed everything that had happened between him and Elena. From Elena doing drugs Luke gave her in order to hallucinate him, the drugs making her a blood junkie, her having Ric compel him away, to her dating Liam, to her almost killing herself and to where they were now. "How do you know all of that?"

"Stefan."

"Who told him? I heard he left town."

"He did," Damon said. "Caroline told him and he told me."

"Oh," she said rolling her eyes again.

"Ok, so what was that for?" he asked, turning to face her.

"I don't understand," she said, looking into his clear blue eyes. "It just seems to me that if she loved you as much as she said, Elena wouldn't have made some of the choices she made."

"Like?"

"Like doing drugs, like compelling you away, like being reckless with her life."

"I guess she did what she had to do," Damon said, still holding Bonnie's hand.

"Getting rid of all the memories of the so-called love of your life is not "doing what she had to do"," Bonnie said annoyed. "It's called being selfish."

"She thought I was dead," he defended.

"That's exactly why she _shouldn't_ have done it," she snapped.

"What?"

"She thought you were dead. She should have wanted to keep those memories. Good and bad."

"She couldn't deal," Damon said parroting what Elena had said.

"She could; she just chose to take the easy way out," Bonnie said with a sigh. "I'm sorry," she said in the silence that had slipped between them.

"Don't be," he said. "I always want to hear what you have to say."

"That's not true," she chuckled.

"It is. Even when I don't like it," he laughed, rising to his feet. Helped her up and wrapped her in a tight hug. "I'm really glad you're back, Bonnie."

"Me too. Thank you for rescuing me," she said returning his hug.

"You're welcome," he smiled. "You ready to go home?" She nodded as he took her hand again. As they walked back toward Singer's, Bonnie felt weak in the knees. At first, she chalked it up to the euphoric mood of the evening with Damon but then she felt dizzy and sick to her stomach. She tripped and almost hit the ground. "Bonnie? You ok? What's going on?"

"I don't feel good," she muttered. She leaned against his body. Her legs felt weak, her head felt fuzzy and her vision was blurry. "Damon," she pushed out on a breath before she passed out in his arms.

"Bonnie!" he yelled as she shook her limp body. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

**"Hey," Stefan said answering his phone.**

**"I need help in the square," Damon blurted out. "Bonnie passed out."**

**"Someone's coming, Damon," Stefan said. "We have something to tell you. It's important."**

**"Nothing is as important to me right now as getting Bonnie home," the older Salvatore said.**

**"Stay where you are," Stefan said before ending the call.**

A few minutes later, Tyler Lockwood came jogging toward him.

"What happened?" Tyler asked as Damon handed Bonnie's still wilted body to him.

"I don't know. I want to check out the square and a few other things. Get her back to the boarding house," Damon ordered. "I'll be there soon." Tyler nodded and carried Bonnie back to his car.


	13. Ain't No Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey guys! Here is chapter 13 for you. So, thank you all for your reviews. I love them! I just have to say that you guys are so hard on Elena. It makes me laugh so hard. If you were talking shit about her before I can't wait to see what you say after this chapter. This chapter starts out with Bamon feels ends with...well Delena. Sorry lovies! Enjoy!**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
>   **And as always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
>  ProTIP: **_Words like this are either singing to text messages._**  
>  **Words like this are phone calls.**
> 
>   ****  
> _Disclaimer: I do NOT own: The Vampire Diaries, any characters, places, words or phrases from either the books or television show. Christian Louboutin, John Varvatos, Budweiser American Ale, Miller High Life, Ain't No Way by Mercedes Jones or anything else you can find in the real world._  
>   
> 
> ****
> 
> **THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE**

When Damon returned to boarding house, Jo was checking out Bonnie in the study.

"What the hell is going on?" he barked as he noticed everyone was there. Stefan, Caroline, Enzo, Ric, Jo, Luke, Liv, Tyler, Elena, Matt and Jeremy all looked him.

"I think I know who's doing this to Bonnie," Luke spoke up.

"I looked around the square and some of other the stores but I didn't see anyone," Damon said. "So how you do you know?"

"They probably hid from you and I don't think they know I saw them," the blonde boy said.

"Who?"

"My father and Jeffery."

"So this is Gemini Coven bullshit?" Damon questioned.

"Damon, calm down," Bonnie said from the couch.

"What are we doing about it?" he asked ignoring Bonnie. "What the hell are they doing?"

"I think they're trying to take Bonnie's soul," Jo said rising to her feet.

"For fucking what?" the older Salvatore asked.

"So that they can send it back to the prison world," Liv said. "With Kai."

"But why?" Matt asked calmly, hoping that his calmness would fill the room and they could find some answers.

"Her spirit will be able to keep Kai locked away," Luck answered.

"But she'd be a spirit, how would she be able to do anything?" Elena asked angrily.

"Once a spirit is in the prison world it becomes corporeal," Jo explained.

"What the hell does that mean?" Tyler questioned.

"It means that my spirit would become solid. Whole," Bonnie replied.

"What would happen to Bonnie? Our Bonnie?" Stefan asked the question that was on everyone else's mind.

"She would die," Jo answered solemnly.

"Fuck that," Damon shouted. "What are we doing about it?"

"We don't know what to do," Jo said sadly.

"You mean to tell me that you three can't figure out how to stop them?" Jeremy chimed in, his eyes falling on each of the Parkers.

"We can't counter a spell, if we don't know what it is," Liv spat.

"It doesn't seem like you're trying to figure it out," Caroline snapped.

"Ok, stop," Bonnie said rising to her feet. She left the room leaving everyone questioning where she was going and what she was up to. "Here," she said returning to the room.

"What's this?" Liv asked.

"It's Emily's grimoire," Bonnie said handing it to Liv. "I have no clue what I'm looking for so you take it and research it."

"Thank you," Liv said taking the book and clutching it to her chest.

"Here. You should wear this. At all times," Jo said handing her a necklace.

"What is it?" Bonnie asked taking the necklace that the doctor was handing her.

"It's a protection charm. It'll keep your soul intact," Jo said as Bonnie slipped it over her neck.

"Thank you," Bonnie smiled. "Ok. I appreciate everyone being concerned about me and what's going on but there is nothing we can do tonight. Go home. Get some rest and we'll figure this out."

"Are you sure?" Elena asked, wrapping her friend in a hug.

"Yeah. This charm is going to protect me and they have the grimoire, so for now, this is all we can do," Bonnie said returning the hug.

"Call us if you need anything," Caroline said joining the hug.

"Of course, now go," Bonnie said releasing them. She bid all of her friends goodbye. Left standing in the study was Bonnie, Stefan, Damon and Enzo.

"You can go too," Damon said to Enzo.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked him.

"Whitmore," Enzo answered.

"Why? What's at Whitmore?" she questioned.

"Co-eds," he laughed.

"You can stay here," she smiled.

"No he can't," Damon said. "You can't just invite people to stay here."

"I just did, Damon and this is a boarding house. You're supposed to have boarders," she said grabbing Enzo's hand.

"They usually pay though," Damon commented.

"Shut up, Damon," she said rolling her eyes. "Come on, Enzo," she said leading him from the room and upstairs. She stopped by the linen closet and grabbed him a few things before picking a room for him.

"Thank you, love," Enzo said standing in the open doorway of his room.

"It's the least I could do," Bonnie smiled. "Um, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Enzo said allowing Bonnie to step into the room.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Deal with being around so many people all the time?" she asked, her eyes on her strappy pumps.

"I don't," Enzo told her. "I operate in two gears, Bonnie."

"What are they?" Bonnie whispered.

"I seclude that myself from everyone or I submerge myself into huge groups," he explained. "You just have to do what feels right for you."

"Thank you," she said giving him a hug. She released him and turned to leave.

"Bonnie?" Enzo called.

"Yeah," she turned to face him.

"I told a half-truth before."

"About what?"

"You asked me what was at Whitmore," Enzo said. "And I said co-eds."

"I remember," Bonnie said.

"While the co-eds are a welcome bit of the happiness I acquire while visiting the campus, but that is not the main reason I go," Enzo informed her.

"What is?"

"The grounds."

"I don't understand," Bonnie said, confusion marring her voice.

"The entire time I was stuck in that dingy cell, sometimes with a mate next door, sometimes not, I always had one thing," he began. "The small window at the back of my cell. When I looked out I could see all of the green lawns and happy people. I just wanted to be one of them."

"So that's why you go back?"

"Yes. Now that I am free, I can see that place the way I choose to. It makes me feel..."

"Normal," she finished for him. He nodded. Bonnie hugged him again before bidding him good night. That conversation with Enzo helped her a lot. She hadn't been sure if staying at the boarding house had been the right thing to do but after hearing Enzo's story, there was no where else she wanted to be.

When she returned to the study Damon was there alone. She watched him as he sipped his bronze liquor and stared into the fire. Bonnie slipped her feet out of her shoes and joined him.

"You ok?" she asked him, her green eyes locked on the red and orange flames.

"Are you?" he asked glancing at her.

"I'm fine. No dizzy spells or anything like that."

"Good."

"Damon, I'm sorry about tonight," Bonnie said turning to face him.

"Why are you sorry? You didn't try to take your own soul," Damon said turning as well.

"I'm just sorry that our evening ending so crappy," she told him.

"Make it up to me," he said as he walked over to the iHome. Bonnie watched him scrolling through the iPod before he touched a song.

"Oh! I love this song," she said swaying as _Ain't No Way by Mercedes Jones_ began to play. "Mercedes Jones is one of my favorite artist."

"I know," Damon asked as he took her in his arms, like he had done earlier at Singer's.

" _ **Ain't no way for me to love you,"**_ they heard Mercedes sing. _**"If you won't let me, oh no.**_

_**"I know that a woman's duty is to help and love a man,"**_ Bonnie sang beautifully, _**"and that's the way it was planned, oh, oh it ain't no way,"**_ she continued to sing. _**"**_ _ **It ain't not way. It just ain't no way, baby. Ain't no way, baby. It ain't no way for me to love you if you won't let me,"**_ Bonnie continued to sing as Damon swept her across the room. _**"Stop trying to be someone you're not,"**_ she sang looking into his ice blue eyes. _**"and if you need me to love you, say, say, say, say you do. Oh, then baby, baby, baby, don't you know that I...need...you,"**_ Bonnie sang with emotion that she hadn't realized that she truly had until that moment. She looked into Damon's eyes again as Mercedes continued to croon in the back ground. She couldn't understand what she was feeling between her and Damon. _**"It ain't no way for me to love you, if you won't let me,"**_ Bonnie crooned the last line of the song. She and Damon were standing chest to chest and she felt fireworks all around her. She didn't know what was happening and she didn't know why she liked it but it was too much to process in one night. She took a step away from him and saw disappointment and rejection flicker across his beautiful face. "Thank you for the dance," she whispered. "Good night," Bonnie said before she hurried from the room, grabbing her shoes and racing to her room.

Damon was just as confused as Bonnie was. What the hell was happening between them and why did it feel so right? He didn't know who he could talk to about it so, for now, he was going to keep it to himself. Bonnie Bennett made him feel strange things and until he could figure them out, he knew that looking into her marvelous green eyes everyday was going to slowly kill him.

* * *

Saturday night, Bonnie and Stefan were sitting in the living room talking about their plans for the evening when there was a knock on the door. When Stefan opened it, he found Liv and Tyler standing there.

"Come in guys," he said opening the door wide.

"Hey," Bonnie said as the couple stepped into the living room.

"Hey, Bon, how you feeling?" Tyler asked her, concern in his voice.

"I'm ok. What's up?" she smiled.

"I've been looking in this all day and I don't know what I'm looking for exactly," Liv said sitting down beside Tyler on the couch across from Bonnie's.

"I'll be upstairs," Stefan said to Bonnie. She nodded as he made his exit.

"Did you ask your brother and sister?" Bonnie asked.

"Well, no," the blonde said looking down.

"Why not?" the Bennett witch asked. Tyler and Liv were both silent. "Well?"

"Liv feels guilty," Tyler blurted out.

"Thanks, Tyler. Nice," Liv said rolling her eyes.

"About what?" Bonnie asked.

"Lying to you, you ending up with Kai," Liv said softly.

"Ok, so lying to me was a crappy thing to do, but you did it for you coven and the Kai thing is not your fault," Bonnie said. "I don't blame you. I blame your lame-ass coven. No offense."

"None taken," Liv said, her eyes brimming with tears. "I just want to help you."

"And you will. Just ask for help," Bonnie said hugging the other witch. "So, since you brought the book, Ty I have something I want to show you."

"What is it?" he asked as he watched Bonnie flip through the old book.

"This," she said handing it to him.

"The Sun and Moon Victory. What the hell does that mean?" he asked looking up from the book.

"I can make you a hybrid," Bonnie smiled. "No doppelganger blood needed."

"How?" he questioned. "And why would I want that?"

"The spell does whatever the doppelganger blood did to make hybrids and you want it because you were happy as a hybrid, Ty," she told him. "I know what it's like to be great, to feel, finally like a whole being like you finally found who you were supposed to be only to have it taken away from you."

"It's better than running scared all the time," Liv said, looking into Tyler's soulful brown eyes.

"What do I have to do?" Tyler sighed.

"First you have to make a choice," Bonnie told him. She rose to her feet and grabbed two small vials off the desk in the corner. "Stefan or Caroline?" she asked handing him the bottles.

"What?" he asked.

"Who do you want to be sired to? Stefan or Caroline?" Bonnie inquired. "I recommend Stefan."

"I agree," Tyler said setting the bottle labeled Caroline on the coffee table. "What now?"

"Drink, I do the spell," Bonnie explained, "then we'll talk." Tyler did as he was told and downed the entire vial of Stefan's blood. Bonnie stood in front of him and placed her hands on his head.

" _Da Lunae damnatis solem dorminari,"_ Bonnie chanted with her eyes closed. Tyler winced in pain as she continued. _"Da Lunae damnatis solem dorminari,"_ she chanted again. Tyler let out a guttural scream before he collapsed on to the couch.

"What the hell just happened?" Liv asked, her eyes wide.

"He had to die," Bonnie said taking her seat again. A few moments later Tyler sat up with a start, gasping for air.

"What the hell, Bonnie?" he questioned.

"I had to turn you into a vampire, Ty," she told him. "Now, you have two more choices to make."

"What?" he asked.

"Are you just going to kill someone random, like a vampire, or are you going to trigger your curse the same way that Klaus did; with his first kill?" Bonnie asked.

"How do you know how he did it?" Tyler asked confused.

"He told me. When he had separate all the Originals. I guess he felt he could talk to me about his life, or whatever," Bonnie said, remembering her many conversations with Klaus when he had her locked in his home. She hadn't want to get to know the Original vampire and she didn't consider him a friend but she did understand his motivations and why his reactions to situations were what they were.

"What do you think I should do?" Tyler asked Liv.

"I think that you have to trigger it with your first kill," Liv answered.

"Why?"

"She's right," Bonnie said.

"Why?" Tyler asked again.

"Because in order to became a full fledged vampire, you have to feed, Tyler," Liv explained. "You don't have a choice."

"Fine," Tyler said getting to his feet. "Tell Stefan I said thank you," he said grabbing Liv's hand. Bonnie nodded.

"I'll keep looking," Liv said gripping the book in her other hand.

"I know you will," Bonnie said with a smile as she walked them to the door. She waved goodbye them and closed the door. When she turned around Damon was descending the stairs. "Off to your date?"

"Yeah," he said pulling his leather jacket on. Damon check himself out in the mirror one more time before he left the house. He wore dark wash jeans, a dark green henley, a pair of John Varvatos boots and his leather jacket. He thought he looked damned good.

* * *

He parked in the parking lot in front of Elena's dorm. He got out and headed toward her room. He knocked on the door and waited.

"She's not ready yet," Caroline said pulling the door open. She examined his outfit closely. Last night, Damon had worn a suit and Louboutins, tonight he looked like he did on any other day. That was very curious to her. "So, you and Bonnie had fun last night?" she asked letting him in.

"Yeah," he answered taking up residence on Bonnie's old bed.

"She looked beautiful."

"She did."

"You were awfully dressed up last night too," Caroline said sitting down on her own bed.

"The occasion called for it," Damon said.

"Singer's Steakhouse is a really nice place," she said. "Did you guys like it?"

"Yeah, Caroline. It was great," Damon said looking her in the eye. "Why?"

"I was just making small talk," Caroline covered. She was actually trying to see if she could get a reaction out of Damon about Bonnie. After Stefan sent her that picture last night of Bonnie she know that details would need to be obtained. She wasn't doing that great a job at collecting at the moment. "Did you guys dance?"

"Yeah. It was nice," Damon grinned. _Bingo!_ There it was! Caroline smiled at him as she pulled out her phone.

_**"Bonnie and Damon danced last night and he said it was nice!"**_ she text.

_**"I'm not surprised. I think they danced here at the house too,"**_ Stefan replied.

_**"It was nice is code for I fell deeper in love with her,"**_ Enzo text back. Caroline was about to continue her line of questioning but Elena emerged from the bathroom.

"You ready to go?" the brunette asked with a bright smile.

"Yeah," Damon said rising to his feet.

"See ya later, Care," Elena said as she exited the room.

"Yeah, ok," Caroline said with a fake smile plastered on her face as Damon shut the door behind them.

Damon and Elena drove to Bela's Bar and Grill in relative silence. He parked and opened her door for her.

"Welcome to Bela's. How many?" the teenage hostess asked when they entered the restaurant.

"Two," Damon answered.

"Ok, it'll be about 20 minutes," she said handing Damon a black square with a red light in each corner. They took a seat in the waiting area.

"How have you been?" she asked him.

"Alright. You?" he asked.

"I've been well," Elena smiled. When the square thing began to vibrate and flash, they returned to the hostess station.

"Alright, right this way," she said as she grabbed two menus from behind the podium. "Your server will be right with you."

"How are things at the boarding house?" Elena asked, looking through her menu.

"You know, Stefan's, well Stefan and Bonnie is..." Damon paused for a moment. "Bonnie is the bright sunlight that that house needed, you know. She's just happy."

"Bonnie has always been that way, you know," Elena smiled. "When my parents died she was the one that knew exactly how to make me smile for the first time. She's good like that."

"I agree," Damon said as the server approached.

"I'm Debbie, what can I get you to drink?" the extremely skinny blonde asked them.

"Budweiser America Ale," Damon said.

"Miller High Life," Elena said.

"Ok, are you guy ready to order?" Debbie asked.

"Yeah, we'll have the rib-eye steak, rare, and as many steak fries as you can give us," Damon ordered handing both menus back to the waitress.

"I'll be right back with you drinks," she said punching their order into her digital pad. They sat in silence as they waited. Debbie returned with their beers and told them that it'll be a few more minutes before their meal was ready.

"So," Elena said taking a sip of her beer. "I want to say thank you for taking Bonnie out last night. I know how hard it's been for her."

_"No you don't,"_ Damon thought to himself. "Yeah, she deserved some fun," he said aloud.

"Here ya go," Debbie said returning to their table. She set a plate down in front of each of them and two overflowing baskets of steak fries. "Anything else I can get you?"

"No, thanks," Damon said unrolling is napkin to reveal his flatware.

"Ok, let me know," the waitress smiled, leaving them alone again.

"Damon, I know that what I did..." Elena began as they ate.

"You mean erasing me?" he asked.

"Yes. I know that it hurt you but I just need to you try and understand why I did it," she said.

"I do understand," Damon said his mind flickering to his conversation with Bonnie last night.

"And you know that because I stepped over the anti-magic border I regained somethings from before," she told him. He nodded. "Well, I know that you weren't...aren't all bad."

"What are you trying to tell me here?" Damon questioned, biting into a fry.

"I think that if we take time to rediscover each other, we could find what we had," Elena explained.

"I don't want what we had," he said. "It was broken."

"But it was real and Damon in the time you've been back here I've realized so many things," she said, reaching across the table and intertwining their fingers. "You are exactly what I want," she said.

"How so?"

"You're kind, caring, you love your brother and your friends," she listed. "You love me."

"I'm just being myself, Elena," Damon told her, taking a sip of his beer. "There's nothing new here."

"That's not true, Damon. It's not a secret that the prison world changed you. I think it made you realize who you truly are."

"You think so?"

"I do. You're the man who any girl would be lucky to have your love," Elena said smiling at their woven fingers. "I'm just glad you decided that that girl was me." Damon was silent. He didn't know what to say. Here was the beautiful Elena Gilbert offering him everything that he had wanted since Bonnie had sent him on a silver platter but something felt...off. "And maybe you're right. Maybe rediscovery isn't what we need, you know. Maybe we should just start over."

"You would do that?" he asked. "You'd start over?"

"Yes, Damon. I'm still not sure what I feel for you but I know that I feel something undeniable when I'm with you and I just want to find out what it is," Elena smiled sweetly. Debbie came with the check. Damon paid and Elena kept their hands connected.

She chattered the entire ride back to the dorm about how excited she was that Damon felt the same way she did, that she was nervous that he would have given up on them.

"Thank you for tonight, Damon," Elena said when they were standing outside of her dorm room.

"You're welcome," Damon said with a gentle smile.

"I'm so happy that you understand me and that you're willing to do this with me," she said softly, gazing into his eyes.

"Elena, I don't..." he started.

"Shhh," Elena said, shushing him. Damon clamped his lips closed. Elena leaned up and kissed him soundly. "Goodnight, Damon," she said stepping away, smiling at Damon, who still had his eyes closed. When he opened his eyes, Damon watched as she she smiled at him coyly, entered the room and closed the door behind her.

_"_ _What now?"_ Damon thought to himself as he walked back to his car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2: Thank you guys for reading. I can't wait to hear what you have to say!**
> 
> **Translation: The Sun and Moon Victory**
> 
>   **Grant the moon's damned reign in the sun**
> 
>   **Da Lunae damntis solem dorminari**


	14. Spill it, Bennett

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey ya'll! So here is chapter 14. In this chapter we have the introduction of Trace Sinclair, an OC created by me and zeejack, the winner of a little contest I held. She is a friend of Caroline and Bonnie's. I also wanted to let you know that I've got chapter 15 started and I should have it up by at least tomorrow.**
> 
> **Enjoy!**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
> **And as always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
> _Disclaimer same as always._
> 
> **
> 
> THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.
> 
> **

Bonnie Bennett and the Salvatore brothers spent Sunday out by the falls. Stefan decided that they all needed some fresh air. It was fun. Stefan hadn't seen Bonnie that happy and full of smiles in a really long time. When they returned to the house, Stefan cooked dinner for all of them. They ate and talked and just enjoyed each other's company.

Monday, Bonnie sat down in the back of Ric's Occult Studies class and waited for class to begin.

"Hey," the girl who sat down next to Bonnie said.

"Hey Trace," Bonnie smiled. Trace Sinclair was a beautiful dark brown skin girl with hazel eyes and dark hair. Her 5'7", delicately curved body was clothed in skinny jeans, a t-shirt from some TV show and electric blue Cons. They had met when Bonnie first returned. Ric hadn't made a big deal about Bonnie's return to class so the other students just assumed they missed her or just didn't notice her; but not Trace. She watched Bonnie the entire class. They both waited for everyone to leave the lecture hall before Bonnie tried to make a mad dash for the door.

_"Who are you?" Trace had asked, suddenly appearing in front of her blocking the exit._

_"Who are you?" Bonnie asked._

_"I asked you first."_

_"Bonnie."_

_"Trace," the girl said. "Bonnie what?"_

_"Bennett. You?" Bonnie questioned._

_"Sinclair. Are you Shelia Bennett's granddaughter?"_

_"How do you know my Grams?"_

_"We were friends in the 60's," Trace answered. "I left Mystic Falls long before anyone knew what I was but Shelia knew."_

_"You're a vampire?" Bonnie inquired._

_"Yeah. Your grams made me this," Trace said pulling out a Lapis Azul daylight necklace that had been hidden under her shirt. "I was sorry to hear about her passing."_

_"Thank you," Bonnie said with a sad smile._

_"Anyway, I think you and I are going to be great friends," Trace said wrapping her arm around Bonnie's shoulder._

"What's up, Bon?" Trace asked taking her seat.

"Not a whole lot but do you remember, I told you about that welcome-back-to-Mystic-Falls-type thing my friend Damon had planned?" Bonnie asked turning in her seat to face her friend.

"Oh yeah. How'd that go?" Trace asked. Bonnie had been secretly excited about that night. She hadn't wanted to Damon to know how she felt. Trace had heard about Damon Salvatore from Shelia, that he was the protector of her line and then to hear Bonnie talk about him, it was clear to Trace that Bonnie Bennett was in love; she was just waiting for her to catch up.

"Great but I can't talk about it now," the young witch said, cutting her eyes at Elena; who had just entered the room.

"Oh. That Gilbert girl. Ok, We'll talk after class," Trace said. She did _not_ like Elena Gilbert. They had been in the same class all year so it was easy for her to make that determination. The thing that put the nail in the coffin was the day Elena was so recklessly drinking blood in class. It's a good thing that Trace was a vampire who was well versed in how to stay well fed or else she would've outed herself, Elena and Ric. Although, blood doesn't seem to be a problem for Ric anymore...for whatever reason. After class, Bonnie and Trace hung back. When the room was empty, they both stood up. "Spill it, Bennett."

"I had a really, really, _really_ great time with Damon," Bonnie began as they exited the hall. "The restaurant was so nice and they had a dance floor and we danced to _Endless Love,_ the 1994 version _."_

"Really?" Trace questioned with a quirk of an eyebrow. Bonnie had found a true confidant in Trace so she knew all about the prison world, Kai and the talks that she and Damon shared. It was easy for Bonnie to simply tell her everything. She didn't know any of the people she was talking about. Any and all advice that Trace offered was unbiased and helpful; or at least it would be if Bonnie would actually take it.

"Yes. Then we went for walk in the square and the stupid Gemini Coven tried to kill me and we ended up back at the boarding house. After we all talked about keeping my soul where it's supposed to be, he and I danced in the study to _Ain't No Way by Mercedes Jones_ ," Bonnie informed her before she paused.

"What? What else happened?" Trace asked. She could tell that there was something else that Bonnie was trying to keep hidden.

"I might've sang it to him," the witch whispered.

"What?" Trace asked bouncing on her toes.

"Why are you so excited?"

"No reason, but I would very much like to meed this Damon Salvatore."

"You should come over this weekend," Bonnie smiled at her excited friend.

"That'd be great," Trace beamed as she hugged Bonnie. "I'll catch you later," she said releasing her. Bonnie waved goodbye and Trace went in search of some help. "Hey."

"Hey," Caroline said as she walked quickly through the quad. "What's up?"

"I need a favor," Trace keeping up with her.

"What?"

"Keep that Gilbert girl away from the boarding house on Friday night."

"Why?" Caroline asked stopping in her tracked, eyes wide.

"Bonnie invited me over to finally meet Damon," Trace explained. "I figured it was time for me to meet the guy she's in love with." Caroline squealed and hugged Trace.

"Oh my God! Come with me," she said happily as she grabbed the other vampire's hand and flashed across the quad. "Enzo!"

"Caroline," he said with a crooked smile. "Who is this lovely creature?"

"This is Trace Sinclair. She's a friend of Bonnie and me," she told him "Guess what?"

"I'm Lorenzo," he flirted as he grabbed Trace's hand and kissed it. "What am I guessing, Caroline?  
"Trace just told me that she's going to the boarding house on Friday to meet the guy that Bonnie is _in love with_!" Caroline said excitedly. Enzo smirked and looked into Trace's hazel eyes.

"Is that so?" he inquired.

"Well, any chapped ass monkey could see it," she commented. "The way she gushes about him when she talks, it's obvious."

"We agree but the two of them are..." Enzo began.

"Are the two most stubborn people left on Earth," Caroline finished.

"Yes; and then there's the Elena thing," Enzo said.

"I've got that covered," the blonde beamed.

"Good," he smiled deviously. "I'll see you Friday, love," Enzo said with a wink at Trace before he left the two girls.

"I've gotta go. He was super cute, by the way and thanks Care," Trace said before she took off toward her next class.

* * *

When all of Bonnie's classes were done she got in her Corvette and headed back toward Mystic Falls. She decided to stop by the newly reopened Grill and grab dinner for her and the boys.

"Hey Matt," she smiled as she stepped up to the bar.

"Hey Bon. What can I do ya for?" he smiled back.

"Four double bacon cheeseburger, medium rare, loads of fries and a cherry pie," Bonnie ordered.

"Dinner?" he asked as he put her order in.

"Yep," she beamed.

"So, how's that necklace working?" he asked as they waited for her order to be up.

"Good I guess. I haven't been dizzy or anything but..." she said glancing down at it. "It feels heavier."

"What do you mean?" Matt asked, his eyebrows knit together in worry.

"I mean, it feels like it's weighing me down," she explained. "I don't know why."

"You should tell Jo," he said as someone handed him her white bags of food.

"I will," she nodded as she took the bags. "Matt, how are you?"

"I'm fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Bon. I'm good," he said reassuringly. Bonnie knew that Matt was one of those guys who thought he had to be strong for everyone and only emoted when he was alone; but they were close. She knew that if he weren't ok, he would tell her.

"Alright. I'll catch you later," she smiled. On her way out of the Grill she was stopped by Liv and Tyler. "Hey guys!"

"Thank you Bonnie," Tyler said beaming as he hugged her tightly. "You were right, as always."

"I knew it," Bonnie beamed. "You don't have to thank me. I just wanted to help." Tyler hugged her again. "Liv, I need to ask you a question," she said after Tyler released her.

"What's going on?" the blonde witch asked.

"This necklace," Bonnie said, "it feels heavy now."

"Are you sure?" Liv asked, panic in her voice.

"Yes. I just want to take it off but I know I can't."

"Don't. It's my dad. He's trying to tempt you into to taking it off," she said. "Jo has the book. We'll have some damn answers soon. I promise."

"Thanks. I really do appreciate all you're doing," Bonnie said with a half smile before the left the Grill. She didn't understand why the Gemini Coven couldn't just take her word as a fellow witch and believe her when she said that there was no way Kai was getting out.

When Bonnie arrived at the boarding house, Damon, Stefan and Enzo were in the living room sharing a drink.

"Hey Bonnie," Stefan said, as he came over to help her with the bags.

"Hey guys. I got dinner," she smiled, joining them.

"Thanks," Damon smiled.

"So, I invited a friend over on Friday. Just to hang out; not to stay," she said with a smirk.

"Who?" Stefan asked.

"Her name is Trace Sinclair. She's a vampire and I met her in Ric's class," Bonnie informed them.

"How do you know she's not up to something?" Damon questioned.

"She was friends with Grams. That's where she got her daylight necklace," Bonnie said in a matter of fact tone.

"Oh," Damon muttered.

While they all sat on the floor around the coffee table eating and talking Bonnie's cell phone rang.

**"Hello?" she answered.**

**"Hey, it's Jeremy," the voice on the other end said.**

**"Hey Jer, hold on a second," Bonnie said stepping into the hallway. "Ok, what's up?"**

**"So, I heard you had a date with Damon last Saturday," he said.**

**"It wasn't a date but so?"**

**"I told you that I was going to fight for us."**

**"I remember," she said.**

**"I need to know that if I ask you to go out on a date with me, you'll say yes. It's hard for me fight for us if you won't give me the chance to," he told her.**

**"Fine. Ok," Bonnie said defeated.**

**"Alright. I'll let you know," he said before they ended the call.**

Bonnie had had her back to the living room during her phone conversation. She didn't see what Stefan and Enzo saw. The moment Damon had heard Jeremy's voice his spine stiffened and his eyes narrowed. When he told Bonnie he was going to fight for them and he wanted to go on a date, anger then confusion flashed across his face. Stefan and Enzo shared a look. They knew that dick Damon would be abound the day that Bonnie and Jeremy went on their date.


	15. To New Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey ya'll! I'm glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter. A few people on fanfiction.net mentioned Trenzo, that's Trace and Enzo, and I when I thought of Trace I had no intention of her hooking up with anyone but I don't know, Enzo and Trace just kind of came naturally, so there may be a little love there.**
> 
> **Also, I only see maybe 5 or 6 more chapters for this story guys. I've got it all outlined and I think 5 or 6 is where we are. Oh, and there are some songs in this chapter that realize some people might not know; you should look them up. They're fantastic!**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
> **And as always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
> _Disclaimer: I do NOT own: The Vampire Diaries, any characters, places, words or phrases from either the books or television show, Crazy by Aerosmith, Can We Talk by Tevin Campbell, Understanding by Xscape, Bump n' Grind by R. Kelly, I'll Make Love to You by Boyz II Men, I Wanna Be Down by Brandy, Creep by TLC, When Can I See You by Babyface, Gin & Juice by Snoop Dogg, or anything else you can find in the real world._
> 
> **
> 
> THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.
> 
> **

_Damon entered into the boarding house to find Elena standing in front of the fireplace in the massive living room. She wore a long, white, flowing, spaghetti strap dress. She was barefoot and her hair was blowing wildly around her. He approached her slowly. Elena held her hand out to him. He hesitantly took it and stood close to her. Her skin was glowing. She looked beautiful._

_"I love you, Damon," her ethereal voice whispered as he cupped her soft cheek. He knew what was supposed to come next but he couldn't do it. It didn't feel right. He leaned down and kissed Elena soundly._

_"I loved you too. Once," he said, his forehead on hers. "But I know that I deserve better than what we were." he said stepping away from her. He turned and made his way toward the exit. He opened the front door, stepped outside, looked back at the closed door. When he turned around he realized that he was back inside the boarding house. "What the fuck?" he muttered. He looked straight ahead and standing in front of the fireplace this time was Bonnie. Dressed in a lacy black strapless dress. She was also barefoot; her short bob windswept, her skin glowing. "Bonnie," he whispered as he approached her. She too held her hand out to him. He took it without pause and kissed her passionately as soon as their bodies were close enough._

_"I love you, Damon," her delicate voice whispered. Damon put his hands on either side of Bonnie's face and placed his forehead against hers. He kissed her again._

_"I love you, Bonnie," he whispered. "You were right about me and Elena."_

_"I didn't want to be," she said. "I know you loved her."_

_"But not as much as I..." he began but he was interrupted by the large gasp and shriek of pain she released. Damon took a step back to see Kai with his hands on Bonnie's arms. The red glow under his palms spreading quickly throughout her whole body. "What the hell are you doing?" Damon shouted as Kai removed his hands from Bonnie. She wilted to the floor; lifeless. Kai just smiled evilly before he disappeared._

_Damon ran to Bonnie side. He pulled her into his arms and shook her. He slapped her face gently and screamed her name before he sobbed her name and rocked her. So many thoughts ran though his mind. Turn it off, hunt Kai down, find a way to bring her back but that last thought made his tears flow faster. Bring her back from where? The Other Side was gone and who's to say that she would end up back in the prison world._

_Sobbing, Damon laid Bonnie's body down on the couch and covered her with a white sheet. He stepped away from her. He had to get out. He couldn't be there anymore. He made his way toward the exit again. He stepped out, glanced back at the door but when he turned around again, he in a cell. A dark, dirty, dingy cell._

_"Hello, Damon," a familiar voice said behind him. He turned to see Dr. Wes Maxfield, smirking at him. "I'd like to run a few tests."_

_"Do your fucking worst," Damon said as he turned to looked at the number he had carved into the wall. "None of it matters anyway," he said defeated. Damon sank to the floor and closed his eyes._

"And that's where I woke up," Damon said to Ric in his office.

"Damon, some people say that in your dreams, no one lies. Not you, not the people in it. So, do you think that you could be in love with Bonnie?" Ric asked.

"No. I don't, Ric. I love Elena," Damon said sternly.

"So you keep saying," Ric muttered.

"I heard that."

"I figured."

"I just don't get why I ended up back in that fucking cell," Damon said, propping his feet up on the desk.

"The pain. The pain of losing Bonnie hurt to much. Turning your humanity off wouldn't take it away, getting revenge on Kai wouldn't take it away and the torture that you endured during Augustine paled in comparison," Ric explained. Damon didn't know how to respond to that.

* * *

After her final class on Friday, Bonnie waited by her car for Trace. She spotted her walking with Caroline. They fist bumped before Caroline waved and headed inside the dormitory.

"What was that about?" Bonnie asked as Trace approached her.

"Caroline and I have a relationship that has nothing to do with you," she said with a coy smile. "Don't be jealous, Miss Bennett."

"You and Caroline are adorable," Bonnie laughed as they loaded into the Corvette. They sped toward the boarding house, laughing and talking the whole way.

"Whose car is that?" Trace asked as they walked past Damon's car.

"Damon's," Bonnie smiled. "Beautiful, isn't she?"

"Yeah," she said grabbing the witch's hand as Bonnie pushed the door open.

"Hey," Bonnie said as they stepped into the living room. "Stefan Salvatore, this is Trace Sinclair."

"It's nice to meet you," Stefan said shaking her hand. "This is..."

"Enzo," Trace said grinning.

"Nice to see you again, lovey," Enzo said kissing her hand.

"Where's Damon?" Bonnie asked nudging Trace.

"Kitchen," Stefan answered. Bonnie nodded and headed that way. She stopped in the doorway and watched the older Salvatore.

_**"**_ _ **That kinda lovin' turns a man to a slave. That kinda lovin' sends a man right to his grave. I go crazy, crazy baby, I go crazy. You turn it on, then you're gone,"**_ Damon sang as he poured chips into bowls and put blood bags and bottles of juice in a basket. _**"**_ _ **Yeah, you drive me crazy, crazy, crazy for you baby. What can I do, honey? I feel like the color blu**_ _ **e."**_

"Awful," Bonnie said, slowly clapping. "Absolutely awful."

"Yeah well...shut up," Damon said with a quirk of his eyebrow. "Here. Make yourself useful," he said handing her the basket with the drinks. Bonnie followed him as he waved everyone to follow him to the study.

"Trace," Bonnie said setting the basket down. "This is Damon Salvatore." Trace held her hand out to the sexy vampire.

"Trace Sinclair; pleasure," she said as he shook her hand.

"Welcome to my house," Damon smirked. "Beverage?" he asked as he held out a blood bag.

"Thank you," Trace said happily. Damon handed Bonnie a bottle of juice and Stefan and Enzo a bag of blood.

"To new friends," he said holding his bag up.

"To new friends," the other four toasted.

They spent the next several hours dancing and singing to hits from 1994. Trace did a spirited rendition of _I Wanna Be Down by Brandy._ Enzo, who was catching up on music, preformed _Can We Talk by Tevin Campbell._ Stefan, who according to Damon, went through "a phase", did a masterful rendition of _Gin & Juice by Snoop Dogg._ Damon did a sexy, mind blowing version of _Bump n' Grind by R. Kelly_. Bonnie choice to do _Hero by Mariah Carey_.

Bonnie danced with Stefan to _When Can I See You by Babyface._ She danced with Enzo to _Understanding by Xscape._ Trace and Enzo danced to _Creep by TLC; then_ Bonnie and Damon danced to _I'll Make Love to You by Boyz II Men,_ while Enzo and Trace closed danced and Stefan pretended to sweep a dance partner across the room _._

All of them were having so much fun that none of them noticed that Jeremy had entered the room just then. He eased out of the room and then the front door.

About thirty minutes after the song and dance portion of the night was over and they were all just sitting around talking, Damon's phone rang.

**"Hello?"**

**"Hey. It's Elena," the voice said.**

**"What do you need?" he asked.**

**"I need you, Damon. Please," she pleaded.**

**"Where are you?" he sighed.**

**"The dorm. I'm downstairs in the common room," Elena told him.**

**"I'll be there soon," Damon said ending the call.**

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked as he popped a chip into his mouth.

"I'll be back," Damon said looking at Bonnie. She nodded as he grabbed his jacket and left.

"You ok?" Trace asked in Bonnie's ear, barely loud enough for her to hear. Bonnie nodded, plastered a fake smile on her face and grabbed another bottle of juice. A little while later, Bonnie's phone rang.

**"Hello?"**

**"Hey. It's Jeremy," the voice on the other end said.**

**"Oh. What's up?" she asked.**

**"Meet me at the Falls," he said.**

**"Why? Are you alright?" Bonnie questioned.**

**"I just need to see you," Jeremy told her. "I'm cashing in that date now."**

**"** **I'm...I'm kinda busy."**

**"Please?"**

**"I'll be there soon," Bonnie said with a sigh.**

**"Thank you," Jeremy said before ending the call.**

"So, I'll be back too," Bonnie said grabbing her keys. "Sorry," she said before she left the boarding house.

"Well this party got shut down quick," Trace joked.

**"Hey Care, what's up?" Stefan said answering his ringing phone.**

**"Put me on speaker!" she said annoyed.**

**"Ok, go," he said.**

**"So, Elena is so getting her neck snapped the next time I see her," Caroline said angrily.**

**"Why? What's going on?" Trace asked.**

**"I need someone to come get me," she said.**

**"Where are you?" Stefan questioned, panic in his voice.**

**"Some closet in the Occult Studies building."**

**"Wait, wait, wait," Trace said as the three of them made their way toward the door. "You're telling me that that Gilbert girl locked you in a closet."**

**"Yes! Oh and did I mention that** **she** **snapped my neck first," Caroline said irritated.**

**"Why?" Enzo asked.**

**"No idea," she said.**

**"It's not like she was going to tell Care her evil plan, Enzo," Trace said as they** **got into the SUV that Enzo had compelled for himself.**

**"It's not like it matters now," Caroline said. "It's extremely gross in this damn closet. Hurry up," she said. "Shit. My phone's dying. Get here already," Caroline said before they all heard the click.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2: Chapter 16 coming soon! Don't forget to let me know what you think about this one.**


	16. I know that you and Damon are in love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey guys! So, here is chapter 16. This one is a bit long but I had to get a lot of stuff in. I think that the chapters will probably be long from here to the end so be on the look out for that.**
> 
> **So, the next chapter we'll learn why the Gemini Coven wanted Bonnie's soul and so much more. Stay tuned!**
> 
> **Enjoy!**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
> **And as always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
> _Disclaimer: I do NOT own: The Vampire Diaries, any characters, places, words or phrases from the books or television show, Corvette or anything else you can find in the real world._
> 
> **  
> _WARNING: This chapter begins with the Gilberts but I promise it gets better._  
>  **   
> 
> 
> **
> 
> THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.
> 
> **
> 
>   
> 

Stefan, Trace and Enzo rescued Caroline from the closet that Elena had locked her in. When they exited the building, Enzo jetted off into the woods. The other three headed back toward the boarding house, wondering where Enzo was headed.

* * *

When Damon arrived at Whitmore, he found Elena in the common room of her dorm just like she said. On the table, there was a candlelit dinner for two and a fire going in the fireplace.

"What's going on?" Damon questioned his eyebrow quirked.

"Dinner," Elena said with a shy smile.

"What?"

"I just thought that after out date at Bela's that we needed a follow-up."

"Elena..." he began.

"Sit," she interrupted. "Please." Damon sighed heavily and took a seat. She sat down across from him. "I feel like I'm constantly thanking you but you deserve it," Elena said as she grabbed his hand.

"Elena..." Damon began again but she interrupted again.

"Thank you for being you and helping Bonnie and just being such a...such a strong force in everyone's life."

"Elena you don't have to thank me for that. Any of it."

"I know. I just wanted you to know that..." Elena began but this time Damon interrupted her.

"Elena, shut up!" Damon said in a raising his voice. She looked at him wide eyed, but silent. "I don't know what you're doing...what we're doing but I don't want to do it anymore."

"What are you saying?" she asked, shocked.

"I'll admit that when I first got back here, all I wanted was to be with you. It was my main focus, almost to the point of distraction," Damon said. "But there was always something in the back of my mind that couldn't let me get lost in us."

"What was it?" Elena asked.

"Saving Bonnie from that dick Kai," he said pulling his hand out of her grip. "It should have been on your mind too."

"But you and Stefan lied and said Bonnie found peace. What was I supposed to think?"

"I don't know," he whispered. "But when you did find out the truth. Bonnie and getting her home safe should have been the only thing on your mind but it wasn't. It was Lewis or Leonard or whatever that guy's name was and me."

"I..." she began but he shook his head, got up from his chair, got on his knees in front of her on her side of the table and grabbed both of her hands.

"Look, Elena. I need you to really hear me," he said. She was looking into his eyes. "I can't...I don't love you anymore. All of this is beautiful but it was a waste of time. I found love somewhere new and it's a love that didn't have to work for it," Damon said as he wiped a tear from her cheek. "You deserve to be happy. Happy living the life you've made for yourself now. Without me. Go be a doctor, get married, adopt 100 babies," he said fondly, causing her to chuckle through her tears. "but trying to remember what we were isn't doing either of us any good. I know you realize that."

"I don't know what to say," Elena whispered.

"I know you don't know any of what I'm about to say to you but I think you need to hear it," Damon began. "On that night four, well five months ago before Bonnie and I disappeared I came to see in you the crypt. You couldn't hear or see me but I could see you."

"I felt you brush my face," she sniffled. "And brush my hair out of my face."

"I did. You asked me to please not leave you, remember?"

"I remember."

"I said, I don't have a choice, baby. You are, by far, the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my 173 years on this Earth. I get to die knowing I was loved—not just by anyone—by you, Elena Gilbert. It's the epitome of a fulfilled life. It's never gonna get any better than this. I peaked," he told her. Elena squeezed his hand and began to cry harder.

"I don't understand, Damon. Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"Because I want you to know that I didn't lie to you. That Damon, the one that you knew, he had peaked he was never more grateful and happy about that; but me, the Damon I am today...he can't say the same," Damon said looking into her watery brown orbs. "I'm brand new, Elena. I feel brand new and this Damon is a lucky son of a bitch."

"Why is that?" Elena asked him, wiping her face and then the tears that hat escaped his eyes.

"Because he, I know that I am lucky to have been able to peak twice."

"I'm happy for you, Damon," Elena said with a sad smile. "I am. I um, I want you to know that even though I don't remember everything about what you and I shared I know that it was special."

"You're right," he nodded. "It was special and I won't ever forget it because I needed you. You taught me so much and I'll always be thankful."

"I'm sorry, Damon," Elena said as he put his forehead on hers. "I shouldn't have compelled you away."

"It's ok. I understand."

"I love you."

"I love you too," Damon said as he lightly touched his lips to her. He rose to his feet and brushed her hair out of her face. "Goodbye," he said as she squeezed her eyes shut, crying. When she opened them again, she was all alone.

* * *

As Bonnie emerged in a clearing by the Falls, she could see Jeremy sitting on a blanket with a candlelit picnic laid out.

"I'm here," Bonnie said joining him. Jeremy didn't say anything; he just looked at her. "What?" she asked looking down at her clothes and touching her face.

"You didn't even notice," he said nastily.

"Notice what?" Bonnie asked confused.

"That for the past two hours I've been giving you the silent treatment."

"What? Why?"

"I haven't text you once in two hours and you didn't even notice," Jeremy said tightly.

"I just figured you were busy. Jer, what's this about?" Bonnie asked.

"I have something important to tell you," he said. "I'm still in love you and I want to be with you more than anything."

"Jeremy," Bonnie sighed. "No. Listen, I am...more grateful to you than you know for showing me what being loved is like but I told you. I can't see a you and me anymore."

"But why? I don't understand," he said angrily.

"Because Jeremy, when you're locked in a vacancy with nothing to do but think you tend to gain a little perspective," she informed him. "I need you to listen to what I'm saying. I need you to understand, please."

"I'm listening."

"Ok," Bonnie sighed heavily, taking his hand. "I meant what I said about being grateful to you. You were my first love and because of that you will always have a special place in my heart but there are just too many things in our past that I can't forget and that I honestly never forgave you for," she explained. "I meant what I said, Jer. That night on the phone. If I had told you the truth about what was going to happen to me, it would have changed those last days we had; and we were happy. So happy," she said tearfully. "I want to be friends with you and I will love you in that capacity, always, but I can't give you my heart."

"Bonnie, what are you saying?" he questioned, wiping away the tears that had slid down his cheeks.

"I love you Jeremy but you and I can not be together. I think," she paused. "I _know_ that I found something that makes me feel whole and strong. I had that with you once and I never thought I would have something as beautiful as that again but I do," she said watery-eyed.

"What do you want from me, Bonnie?" Jeremy whispered sniffling.

"I want you to go be happy. I want to you do all the thing that your heart desires," Bonnie said as she wiped his tears away with the pad of her thumb. "You deserve it, Jer," she said as she leaned over to him and kissed his lips softly.

"Bonnie..." he started but was interrupted by the ringing of her phone. She wiped her eyes and pulled her phone out of her pocket.

**"Hello?"**

**"You ok?" Damon asked.**

**"I'm fine. How about you?" she asked, rising to her feet. She kissed Jeremy on the top of the head before turning back toward her car. "Where are you?"**

**"I'm ok and on my way back to you."**

**"What?"**

**"Aren't you at the boarding house?" Damon covered, facepalming himself.**

**"** **Uh, no," Bonnie said climbing into the Corvette. "I'll be there soon though."**

 **"I'll see you there," Damon said ending the call.** "Smooth Salvatore," he said aloud to himself as he sped down the road.

* * *

When Bonnie arrived home, she found Stefan, Caroline and Trace in the study.

"What's going on?" she asked her friends, noticing all of the intense faces.

"That Gilbert girl has some damn nerve," a pacing Trace spat.

"Uh, ok," Bonnie said slowly. "What's going on?"

"Oh nothing really just Elena snapped my neck and locked me in a closet," Caroline said feigning cheer.

"For what?" the witch asked shocked. Stefan, Trace and Caroline all shared a look.

"We were fighting about something stupid," the blonde covered smoothly. That wasn't a lie. The two of them had been fighting. Elena had been trying to set the dinner that she had planned for she and Damon but Caroline was like her shadow. Elena had asked her several time to leave her alone but Caroline insisted that they needed some girl time and what better way to get it than spending time together but as time neared dinner the brunette grew impatient and snapped her neck and stowed her body in the closet in Ric's classroom. The last place where Elena had tried to shake her.

"I can't imagine anything being so horrible that it would cause her to react like that," Bonnie said, rolling her eyes.

**"Hello?" Stefan answered his phone.**

**"I stopped off at the Grill but it's fucking busy in here so I'll be there as soon as I can," Damon said loudly.**

**"Yeah ok," Stefan said, removing the phone from his ear. "Oh and Damon?"**

**"What?" he yelled.**

**"Stop yelling!" Stefan yelled before ending the call.**

"What'd he say?" Bonnie inquired.

"He stopped at the Grill but it's busy so he'll be back as soon as he can," Stefan told her. Bonnie nodded. After about 15 minutes of listening to Stefan talk about a _seriously rad_ concert he and Lexi went to in the 80's, they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

"Elena," Stefan said looking up from his rapt audience. Caroline flashed in front of her and without warning snapped her neck. When she turned back the room, all eyes were on her.

"What?" she shrugged before taking her seat beside Trace again.

"What the fuck?" they heard Damon say from the doorway.

"She'll be up soon," Trace said nonchalantly.

"Is there a reason you left her laying in the floor?" he asked looking to Stefan, who opened his mouth to speak but he wasn't the one who answered.

"Better than locked in a closet," Trace said snippy.

"What?" Damon asked confused.

"Ask that Gilbert girl when she wakes up; which I swear should have been like five minutes ago but from what I've heard she has a flare for dramatics," she said rolling her eyes. A few moments later, Elena gasped and sat up.

"I'm sorry, Caroline," she said hoarsely. "Thank you," she said to Stefan who helped her up.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked.

"I came to see Bonnie," she said, her eyes trained on her best friend. "Can we talk?" she asked her.

"Sure," Bonnie said getting to her feet. She followed Elena to the kitchen where the vampire turned on the radio. "Vampires are nosy, you know?" Bonnie nodded. "I know, Bonnie."

"Know what?" Bonnie asked, genuinely confused.

"I know that you and Damon are different. I know that he's happy and I'm not the one making him that way. I know that you're happy and that that happiness didn't come from Jeremy," Elena stated. "I know that you and Damon are in love."

"Elena..."

"No, I know it's the truth," she said. "I just didn't think that you would do something like this."

"Like what?" Bonnie asked, trying to understand what was happening.

"Like take what you knew was mine," Elena spat.

"Damon is not some prize to be won, _Elena_ ," Bonnie snapped.

"I was trying to reconnect with him and this whole time he's been in love with you," Elena ranted. "You know that I..."

" _Ostende cor veritatem,"_ Bonnie chanted as she focused on her friend and Elena fell to her knees; memories flickering quickly across her mind.

_The scene was when Elena and Stefan first met._

" _Uh, pardon me. Um. . .is this the men's room?" Stefan asked._

_"Yes. Um, I was just, Um—I was just—It's a long story. . . ." Elena chuckled. The scene to the driveway of the boarding house._

_"I know that it's - that's it's hard to understand, but I'm doing this for you,"_ _Stefan said getting out of Elena's car._

 _"No," she said causing him to stop in his tracks. "You don'_ _t_ _get to make that decision for me. If you walk away, it's for you, because I know what I want. Stefan, I love you," Elena said as she stepped toward him. Stefan finally turned around with tears in his eyes. He quickly walked over toward Elena, grabbed her face in his hands and kisses her passionately. The two continued to kiss as they made their way into the living room of the boarding house. Elena removed the scarf she was wearing and tossed it to the floor._ _She_ _ran her hands through his hair and he held her face to his as they continued to kiss. Suddenly, he felt his face changing and he stopped kissing her. Elena breathed heavily as Stefan rested his head on her shoulder._ _He_ _was also breathing heavily, finally_ _he_ _pulled away and turned so that Elena couldn't see his vampire face. Elena tried to pull him back to face her. "Don't."_

 _"Elena, I can't..." Stefan said still looking_ _a_ _way._

 _"Yes you can," Elena said, putting her hand on his cheek. "Don't hide from me." Stefan finally turned to face_ _her_ _and she looked at him without fear. He kiss_ _ed_ _her again before leading to his bedroom where they ma_ _d_ _e love. The scene changed again to her family's lake house._

_"Not gonna be a very romantic weekend unless you, uh, invite me inside," Stefan said from the porch._

_"Stefan, I can't," Elena said, sadly._

_"What?"_

_"My parent's left this place to John Gilbert. He's the only one who can invite you in. I'm sorry. I-I completely forgot."_

_"You're kidding me, right?" he questioned his eyes wide. Elena looked at him seriously for a moment, but finally cracked a smile._

_"Stefan Salvatore, I hereby invite you into this home," she beamed._

_"You are such a liar," he laughed as he entered the house and picked Elena up a_ _s_ _she giggled._ _The scene changed again and she was sitting in Matt's truck._

_"Hey, where are you?" Damon asked._

_"Matt's taking me home," she said into the phone._

_"To Stefan," Damon said._

_"Not just to Stefan, Damon. To Tyler, to Caroline."_

_"Ah, I know, I get it. So, since I'm possibly a dead man, can I ask you a question?"_

_"Yeah, of course," Elena said._

_"If it was just down to him and me and you had to make a choice who got the goodbye, who would it be?" Damon asked, his voice shaky._

_"I love him, Damon," she said getting choked up. "He came into my life at a time when I needed someone and I fell for him instantly. No matter what I feel for you, I – I never unfell for him."_

When the memories stopped, Bonnie helped Elena to her feet.

"What the hell was that?" Elena asked, sitting at the table.

"It's called Heart's Truth," the witch said. "It shows you what or who your heart desires."

"What?" the brunette asked, confused. "But I thought..."

"You thought that because you were supposed to feel something for Damon that he was the one you wanted."

"Well, yeah but..." Elena paused, looking down at her hands.

"But what?" Bonnie questioned, taking a seat beside her friend.

"I knew," she whispered. "I knew that my feelings for Stefan were still here and that if I thought he would take me back I would be in arms right now."

"Then what is holding you back?"

"I'm a vampire."

"Elena, it was Stefan that helped you with all that newbie vampire stuff. It was Stefan that you experienced your first vampire sunrise with," Bonnie said, putting her arm around Elena.

"Ric compelled me back to right after Stefan and I broke up. I couldn't remember why but I just knew that my feelings for him were still intact and that seeing his face was killing me," Elena told her, her head on Bonnie's shoulder.

"Then you know what you have to do."

"I'm scared."

"Don't be. Stefan is the one who understands you better than even Care and me," Bonnie said hugging her. "Be brave."

"You too," Elena said in her ear. "I see the way Damon looks at you. I don't remember a whole lot but I know that you're going to be happy, Bon."

"He doesn't know how I feel," Bonnie said releasing her. "He's not going to."

"Bonnie," Elena sighed.

"No. Let it go, please," Bonnie said as she crossed the room and turned the radio off. The girls hugged again but broke apart when they heard yelling in the study.

"Look who I found lurking in the woods," Enzo smirked. Everyone was shocked to see Joshua Parker and Jeffery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2: Thanks for reading. I hope to have chapter 17 up in a few days at the most. Don't forget to let me know what you thought!**
> 
> **Translations of the Heart's Truth spell.**
> 
> **Reveal the heart's truth: Ostende cor veritatem**


	17. I love you, plain and simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey guys! So, it took me a little longer than I thought to get this up but here it is. So I hope you guys enjoy this one. Remember to let me know what you think. So, I have a question for you guys. I've already started chapter 18. It could be the final chapter or I could extend it to 19. Let me know what you think I should do.**
> 
> **On a sidenote, I'm sick of Caroline sans humanity already. Also, it is my humble opinion that Bonnie gets to be mad at Damon. I don't think that we're back to square one with them. They're friends now and they both know that friends fight.**
> 
> **Ok, so enjoy!**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
> **And as always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
> **_Disclaimer: I do NOT own: The Vampire Diaries, any characters, places, words or phrases from the books or television show, Endless Love, Ain't No Way, Google Hangouts or anything that you can find outside of fandom._ **
> 
> **
> 
> THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.
> 
> **

By the time, Ric, Jo, Luke, Liv, Tyler, Matt and Jeremy showed up at the boarding house, Enzo and Damon had tied up Joshua and Jeffery.

"What the hell is going on here?" Ric asked at the sight of the two men.

"Enzo found Papa Parker and The Gemini Coven's errand's boy in the woods; lurking," Damon said, taking a sip of his favorite bourbon.

"What are you doing here?" Liv asked, her arms folded across her chest.

"We're here for the Bennett witch," Jeffery answered.

"Why?" Stefan asked noticing the tension rising in his brother.

"She's the key," Joshua said.

"The key to what, Dad?" Jo asked.

"Malachai's prison," Mr. Parker answered. "Bonnie, your grandmother told our coven that you were the key."

"Why me?" Bonnie inquired.

"You have more power than you know. That's why we needed to put you back in the prison world," Joshua explained. Damon followed Bonnie when she left the room.

"Where are you going?" he asked, grabbing her arm on the landing.

"To my room," she said. "I need to get something," Bonnie said freeing her arm. When they got to her room, Bonnie started digging though her desk. "I can't believe that Grams never told me about any of this."

"You were two," Damon said leaning against her desk. He picked up the round frame of Bonnie and her grams that she had bought home with her. "I'm sure she thought she had more time," he said. Bonnie cut her eyes at him as she pulled a grimoire onto the desk. "Whose is that?"

"Grams," she whispered flipping through the book. "1994," she muttered as her eyes scanned page after page. After about five minutes, Bonnie sat down on the edge of her bed holding the book in her hands.

"You ok?" he asked sitting beside her. Bonnie was silent as she passed him the book. Damon looked at her profile before he looked down at the book.

_I helped the Gemini Coven trap that boy_ _his own hell. The prison world is locked with my blood and life force for now but soon I'll switch it to my granddaughter, Bonnie. She is going to be the most power Bennett witch of any generation and_ _she_ _will maintain the lock._ _When she's old enough, I'll go with her to help fulfill her destiny. That boy is a monster and he will dwell in that forever. It makes me happy to know that even after I die, Bonnie will keep those people safe. I hope she finds the letter that I left for her in Oregon with our magic helpful. Passing on a legacy is hard work and once I'm gone, I want her to know everything she can._

"I know what I have to do," Bonnie said standing up. "Go down and tell everyone that I'm going to Oregon. I'll be back as soon as I can," she said as she began packing a bag. Damon did as he was told before he ran back upstairs to his room. About thirty minutes later Bonnie returned downstairs, Shelia's grimoire in hand. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Did you honestly think that we were going to let you go all by yourself?" Caroline asked.

"If she thought that, her brain must be leaking," Trace joked. Bonnie smiled at them thankfully.

"Luke and Jeremy volunteered to stay behind. We have to make sure that we won't be thwarted before we get started," Stefan told her. She looked at Jeremy to thank him but he looked away from her.

"Right, well, let's go," Bonnie said as they all moved toward the exit. "Stefan?"

"Yeah?" he asked as he stopped beside her.

"This is completely off topic and none of my business but how do you feel about Elena?"

"Oh."

"You don't have to tell me. I just..." she said.

"I love Elena," Stefan interrupted. "What we had just doesn't go away but I can't and won't just get back with her."

"Can I ask why?"

"She betrayed me," he answered simply. "It's been hard enough, you know. An "I'm sorry" just isn't going to fix it."

"If she wanted to get back with you, would you consider it?" Bonnie asked.

"It'd take a lot of work on her part," he said honestly.

"Good," Bonnie smiled.

"What?"

"Elena rarely has to work for anything."

"I know," he chuckled. "Why did you ask me that?"

"No reason. I was just curious," she smiled. Stefan smiled back and headed outside. Bonnie was happy that Stefan would make Elena work for his affection. She had so lightly tossed it to the side before, he's right to make her work to get it back.

"You ready?" Damon asked, coming up beside her, his hand on her back.

"No. I need to tell you something," Bonnie said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Alright. I'm listening," Damon said.

"This isn't going to be easy and I don't really want to say it but I don't have a choice," she rambled. "You and me have been through so much together. I, um, I haven't always properly thanked you each time you've saved and I'm sorry."

"It's a thankless job but I'd do it over," Damon smirked.

"Right, well, after I sent you home and before that I guess, I felt...things but after you were gone I just felt so...lonely," Bonnie told him. "I didn't think that I would ever get back here to..." she stopped and looked him in the eyes.

"Back here to what?" he whispered. Bonnie sighed heavily as a tear ran down her face; her eyes still trained on his.

"You, Damon. I didn't think that I would ever get back here to you," she said, "I have no idea what is happening but when I'm with you I feel...I feel like me. When we went to Singer's that night. I was...elated."

"Why didn't you say something?" Damon asked, wiping her tears away. Bonnie took a step back.

"Damon, you never even said it was a date. I had no idea if you thought it was that," Bonnie explained, "And then, we danced to _Endless Love,"_ she said exasperated. " _Endless Love._ "

"I'm not following," Damon said, confused.

"Then I was stupid. So stupid. I sang _Ain't No Way_ to you," she said ignoring his last comment. "That was..."

"That was beautiful," he said grabbing her by the arms.

"Do you know what the song is about?" she whispered.

"Yes," he said matching her tone.

"Listen ok. I'm going to say this and I don't want you to say anything; just listen." Bonnie said stepping away from him again. Damon furrowed his eyebrows and looked into her green eyes. She took a deep breath," I love you," she blurted out. Damon's eyebrows shot up on his forehead. "I've loved you since the moment I decided to send you home without me. My feelings for you had been growing for some time, Damon. Even before we got swept away into the white nothingness." He opened his mouth to speak, she shook her head no. "Please don't ask me why I didn't say anything. I think it's an obvious answer," Bonnie said glancing out the door at Elena standing beside her SUV. "I just wanted you to know before this trip."

"Why?"

"We have no idea what's going to happen. We don't know what we're going to be up against and I needed you to know what's in my heart."

"Bonnie, can I..." he began.

"I love you, Damon," Bonnie said. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him deeply before exiting the house. Damon stood in awe. He wished that she had shut up for two seconds so that he could tell her what was on his mind. What his thoughts were on everything that she just said.

Damon pulled the front door shut behind him. When he climbed into his car he was disappointed to see Stefan in the passenger seat.

"You ok?" Stefan asked his brother.

"The jury's still out, brother," Damon said as he started his car and lead the caravan toward the airport.

"What's wrong?" Enzo questioned from the back seat.

"Not that this is any of either of your business but Bonnie just told me that she loves me," Damon said, his eyes on the road.

"And what'd you say?" Stefan questioned, unable to control the smile on his face.

"Nothing. She wouldn't let me say anything," Damon said annoying.

"Well, if she had," Enzo said, "what would you have said?"

"That's easy," the elder Salvatore said. "I love you; plain and simple."

"You love her?" the younger Salvatore asked. "Like actually love her."

"No, Stefan. I fake love her," Damon said with snark. "When you got nothing but time to think about shit, you gain perspective."

"And what perspective did you gain, mate?" Enzo inquired.

"That all the things that Bonnie and I talked about I needed to look at. She had no reason to lie about any of it," Damon explained. "I just looked at everything I had with Elena and it just didn't measure up to what I thought it would be or what I wanted. Granted I didn't truly see that until I got back here and found out about the whole mind meld thing."

"So what are you saying?" Stefan asked, his curiosity almost getting the best of him. He wanted to tell Damon that he was so happy for him but he knew that his brother would tease him about getting excited about someone else's relationship.

"I'm saying that I realized that I had been in love with Bonnie Bennett for 730 days," he said, glancing at his brother. "And counting."

"Well, that's good news, mate. Now you just have to tell her before it's took late and one of you bites it," Enzo smirked in the backseat.

"Yeah, thanks," Damon said quirking his eyebrow.

"So are we not going to talk about 730 days ago you were fully in the midst of your relationship with Elena?" Stefan asked.

"No," Damon said plainly. The were all silent for a moment. Enzo took the opportunity to tell Caroline about Bonnie's love declaration and Damon's need to tell her he feels the same. "Hey Stef, you remember what mom used to say about the three of us?"

"Yeah," Stefan said smiling at the memory. "Why?"

"That's how I feel, Soul-mates _are people who bring out the best in you. They are not perfect but are always perfect for you._ " Damon recited. He sighed but remained silent.

* * *

Caroline sat in the backseat of Elena's SUV, feet shaking, one hand over her mouth to hold in her excited, shrill screaming, her eyes wide as she reread Enzo's text message. She showed it to Trace and her reaction mirrored hers.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys?' Bonnie asked turning in her seat to look that them.

"Nothing. We're cool," Trace lied. They were anything but cool. They were on their way to deal with the stupid Gemini Coven when they should be breaking out the most expensive bottle of champagne that the Salvatore brothers own.

"You guys are weird," Bonnie laughed, turning back to the front. The car was silent as Trace and Caroline hooked up with Stefan and Enzo on Google Hangouts.

**Carebear: OMG! This is fantastic! I can't believe we were right!**

**TraceSpace: I can't believe she didn't tell us.**

**EnzoBenzo: Elena is in your car ladies.**

**Carebear: Irrelevant.**

**SalvaStef: Kinda relevant. We don't have time for Bonnie and Elena to be at each other's throats.**

**TraceSpace: It's called an aneurism, Stefan.**

**SalvaStef: She is driving, Trace.**

**Carebear: And Trace and I are quick enough to grab the wheel.**

**EnzoBenzo: I don't see Bonnie as the "fight over a guy" type of gal.**

**SalvaStef: She's not.**

**Carebear: None of that matters anyway. We need a plan.**

**TraceSpace: Yes! We've got to get Damon and opportunity to say it back.**

**SalvaStef: Maybe we should just let it happen.**

**Carebear: Bonnie doesn't have forever Stefan.**

**EnzoBenzo: I don't think Damon's going to wait that long. I wouldn't if I felt the way he did.**

**TraceSpace: You wouldn't?**

**EnzoBenzo: No. I'd declare my love...then I'd show my love.**

**TraceSpace: -blushing-**

**Carebear: Gross. I'm gone.**

**SalvaStef: I'm with Care.**

**EnzoBenzo: See ya soon, love.**

**TraceSpace: Bye Enzo.**

When Trace put her phone away, Caroline was just looking at her.

"What?"

"You like Enzo," Caroline stated.

"What? You do?" Bonnie asked turning in her seat to face her friend.

"Sue me," Trace said shrugging. "He's hot and who doesn't love an accent."

"You should go for it," Elena chimed in.

"Agreed," Bonnie said turning back around.

"So should you," Caroline and Trace whispered under their breathes.

* * *

Bonnie spent the entire plane ride, her nose buried in Shelia's grimoire. Damon watched her face. She was learning so much but anger was not the look he expected to see once she finally closed the book. They de-boarded the plane and they traveled the same road they did their previous trip.

Bonnie rode shot gun with Damon, Stefan and Enzo. They all had an uneasy feeling.

"Are you alright, Bonnie?" Stefan asked breaking the silence.

"Not really," she answered sharply.

"So, I'm assuming you don't want to talk about it?" Enzo questioned.

"You'll find out soon," Bonnie said her eyes trained on the road ahead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2: Thank you guys for reading. I hope you enjoyed this one. Let me know.**


	18. She was never, in fact, homeless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey guys! So here we are. Chapter 18. Now, this is the last chapter but if you guys want it I've got a 10 years later epilogue I could write. Let me know. I hope you guys enjoy this one. Thank you so much for all of your comments and your bookmarks and subscriptions. It really does mean so much. So I have a Matt Donovan story in the works but I don't know when that'll be up at all but chances are that'll be my next TVD fic. Unless I think of something else Bamon which is a HUGE possibility. Enjoy!**
> 
> **Happy Reading!**
> 
> **And as always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
> 
> _Disclaimer: I do NOT own: The Vampire Diaries, any characters, places, words or phrases from the books or television show, Whatta Man by Salt-N-Pepa, or anything else you can find outside of fandom._
> 
> ****
> 
> **THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.**
> 
>   
> 

When they arrived at the Gemini Coven compound, Bonnie was the first person out of the car. She marched off determinedly toward the main building.

"What's up with Bonnie?" Ric asked.

"I don't know," Damon answered. "Just go with it." When Bonnie stopped at the bottom of the stairs that led to the main building the group stopped behind her.

"Miss Bennett, to what do we owe this pleasure?" Andrew asked, standing beside his sister, Anna.

"I want what's mine," Bonnie said firmly. The siblings shared a look.

"I'm sure we don't know what you're talking about," Anna said, false kindness in her voice.

"I want what's mine," the young witch's steely voice sounded. Damon, Stefan and the gang looked around at each other, confused.

"Bon, what's going on?" Damon asked placing his hand on her back.

"The Gemini Coven are the guardians of the Bennett Magic. Whenever one of my ancestors dies, this is where their magic goes. This is the magic the witches on the Other Side used to draw from." Bonnie explained. "They are supposed to be protecting it but instead they used it against me."

"What do you mean?" Matt asked, concern in his voice.

"I mean that my family trusted them to protect our magic. The magic that resides in twins is some of the most powerful magic in the world. That's why they were entrusted as guardians. I mean when my soul was being ripped from my body, they were using my magic to do it," Bonnie said venomously. "The spell they were using was passed down by _my ancestor_ ; Qetsyhia. So, I want my magic and I want all of it," she spat at the elderly twins. "My grams was right. I am the key to keeping Kai in his prison but not the way they want me to," Bonnie said turning to face her friends.

"Then how?" Stefan asked.

"Grams said that in Emily's grimoire she talks about the key. The key is the most powerful Bennett and that she or me, is supposed to break the Parker line," Bonnie informed them

"Break it how?" Liv asked, anger seeping into her voice.

"First, it's not break in the most literal sense. You and Luke will keep your magic but because Kai and Jo are the oldest I'd have to strip Jo's magic because her and Kai are connected," Bonnie stated. "The only reason that he could steal magic, which is a magical power by the way, is because he always had a bit of Jo's magic inside of him. He still has it but stripping Jo of her magic, actually stripping her, not just putting it in something, it will strip him of any power that he has. He could say spells all day long but it wouldn't matter because he's not magic...at all."

"What happens to Jo?" Ric asked.

"And her magic," Liv added.

"Jo will be fine and her magic will be given back to the Earth. Other witches who draw from elemental or celestial events can draw on her power. It doesn't matter, she just can't have it and only a Bennett can strip magic completely, from anyone," Bonnie told them.

"If it'll keep Kai on lock down forever then I'm fine with it. I doesn't really use the magic anyway," Jo said, certainty in her voice.

"Fine," Andrew said nastily. "Follow us," he said as he and Anna turned and headed up the stairs. Once they were all inside the building they continued to follow down the long corridors to a room with double doors.

"It's in there," Anna said pointing toward the doors. "We're not allowed inside but everything you need is on a table inside. Take it if you think you can handle it." Bonnie looked the lady in the eyes. That thought hadn't occurred to her. What if she couldn't handle it? What if when she did take the magic in and she abused it? Andrew and Anna walked away from the group. They all stood and watched Bonnie. She didn't make a move. Her eyes were trained on the doors. Damon made a move toward her but Stefan grabbed his arm.

"Bonnie, are you alright?" Stefan asked stepping up beside her.

"No," she whispered, never removing her eyes from the doors. "I'm scared, Stefan."

"Of what?" he questioned, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"The power," Bonnie told him, finally meeting his eyes. "You know what happens when I have to much."

"I know that you are strong and brave and you deserve whatever is behind that door," Stefan said. "I've been drinking human blood."

"You have?"

"I have. I've been trying to train myself."

"How's that working?" she asked him.

"Good," he smiled. "That's why I know that you can handle this, Bonnie. You're so much stronger than I am. You can do this."

"Thank you Stefan," Bonnie said hugging him. He hugged her back tightly. She released him, glanced at her friends and gave them a brief smile before she put both of her hands on the knobs. Bonnie pushed the doors open and entered into the room with a high ceiling. It was all white and had gold trim. In the center of the room was a table. On it was a goblet, a silver knife, and an old browning piece of paper. Bonnie picked up the brittle paper and her breath caught in her throat. It was a letter from her grams.

_Bonnie,_

_This is letter is so important. There is so much to tell you and not much time;_ _so I'm going to get to it. It has been far to long since the Bennett witches have had a leader. We are the most powerful witches in the world and for us to be just wondering around leaderless is ridiculous._ _That's why you have to do it. You have to become the leader of the Bennett Coven._

_If you take in all of the Bennett magic you will assume the role. I don't want you to be afraid, baby. The coven is scattered far and wide but everyone will know that there is a power they must answer to. They will know that it's you. If you take this on, you'll need to follow the following instructions._

_cut your hand and bleed into the goblet_

_say the spell at the bottom of the paper and the magic is yours._

_I love you so much, Bonnie. I believe in you, baby. I know that you can do this. You just have believe in yourself now._

_Grams_

_Magicae de Bennetts. Intra me sunt. Me apud vos._

Bonnie sighed as she slid the knife over the palm of her hand and held it over the goblet. When the flow stopped, Bonnie closed her eyes.

"Magicae de Bennetts. Intra me sunt. Me apud vos," she chanted. "Magicae de Bennetts. Intra me sunt. Me apud vos," she chanted again. Suddenly, her eyes flew open and the room was filled with a bright white light. The light swirled around the room until it came straight for her and jammed itself down her throat. Every inch of her skin, every orifice shone bright with light. Once all of the light was inside of her, Bonnie collapsed. She lay there for a few long moments before she got to her feet. She looked around the room and everything looked the way it did before she did the spell. She ran to the doors and wrenched them open.

Bonnie beamed at her friends. She ran in to Damon's outstretched arms. He held her as if he hadn't seen her in years.

"Are you ok?" he whispered in her ear.

"I'm perfect," she whispered back.

"What now?" Elena asked, stepping to the front of the group.

"Now we go back outside," Bonnie said, holding her hand out to Jo. The doctor took her hand and the Mystic Falls Gang followed them to the Ascendent dial. Everyone was on high alert when the Gemini Coven came out and surrounded them.

"Bonnie..." Damon said worried.

"Don't worry about them," she said as she put Jo into position. "I'm not." Bonnie held Jo's hands. "Close your eyes," she said patiently. Jo did as she was told and Bonnie followed suit. " _Relinquite magica, renovare humanae, et auferes malum cataracta,_ " she chanted. Bonnie chanted the spell again and everyone watched as Jo began to glow. Bonnie continued to chant and Jo's glow grew dimmer and dimmer until it burst from her and showered down around them. Suddenly, the stone dial began to shift until it looked like it was in the locked position.

"What happened?" Matt whispered.

"My magic is gone," Jo commented.

"And Bonnie locked the prison world," Liv added.

"How do you know it worked for Kai?" Damon asked a question he felt was obvious.

"Twins are connected. Whether they want to be or not," Bonnie answered. "If Kai still had magic, Jo would know it. She would be able to feel it."

"It's all gone," Jo confirmed. Damon wrapped Bonnie in a tight hug and lifted her off of her feet.

"Let's go home," he said smiling brightly.

"Sure," Bonnie said as he lowered to the ground. She turned to Andrew and Anna. "When the time comes for Luke and Liv to take over I expect you to step down gracefully. If they hadn't gotten me out, Kai's escape would still be looming over your heads," she said harshly. "I promise you; this is the last time I will see your faces and the last time I will think of you," Bonnie said before Damon took her hand and led her back toward the rentals.

The relief of the Gemini Coven was palpable. The fear of Kai returning and stealing their magic or worse the magic they were supposed to be protecting was gone. Thanks to Bonnie.

* * *

The Mystic Fall Gang were quiet on the plane ride home. Elena, Tyler, Caroline and Matt were still in awe of their childhood friend. She was different but she was stronger and more confident than they had ever seen her. When everyone got back to their cars at the airport, Enzo and Stefan got into Elena's SUV. Damon held the door open for Bonnie and she took her seat.

By the time Damon and Bonnie pulled up in front of the boarding house, she was asleep. He carried her into the study and lit the fire. As he poured himself a glass of bourbon, Bonnie's phone began to ring. Damon quickly and stealthy grabbed it and stepped in to the hallway.

**"Hello?" Damon answered not looking at who had called.**

**"Why do you have Bonnie's phone?" Jeremy asked snottily.**

**"** **Because Young Jeremy; someone one annoying was calling and almost woke her up," he said matching his tone.**

**"I just want to talk to her, Damon."**

**"She's asleep,** _ **Jeremy**_ **. Call back later," Damon said ending the call.** Damon pocketed Bonnie's phone once he put it on silence. He didn't want to feel it vibrate against his ass every fifteen minutes when Jeremy called. He sat down on the couch and put her legs over his.

"Where am I?" Bonnie asked groggily.

"The study," Damon said.

"Oh," she said finally opening her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"I was waiting for you," he told her.

"Waiting for me to what? Wake up?"

"Yes. I have...want to tell you something," Damon told her, swinging her legs on to the floor and pulling her up to sit next to him.

"What's going on?" Bonnie asked, looking into his steely blue eyes.

"Before we left for that trip to crazy town, you dropped a bomb on me," Damon said with a smirk. "Then you didn't give me a chance to respond."

"I didn't think..." she began.

"Shut up, Bonnie," he interrupted. "It's my turn." Bonnie nodded and listened intently. "Let me start out by saying that I don't know what the hell is going on between us either. I know that it's been going on for a long time but I don't know. I was so...," he paused for a moment, looking away. "I was so hung up in my own shit that I just ignored what I had been feeling for you. But then we got sucked in Kai's hell and while, yes, I thought about Elena a lot, it was you who taught me what love is and how to figure out was true love is," he told her.

"Ok," Bonnie said, anxiousness seeping into her bones.

"The dinner at Singer's was most definitely a date. Maybe I should have said so but I felt like if I asked you on a date you would have said no," Damon explained. "I danced with you to _Endless Love_ because...I'll get to that in a minute. I want you to know that I listened to every single word you sang to me."

"You did?" she asked hoarsely. He nodded.

"Stop trying to be someone you're not," Damon said, his eyes trained on her green orbs. "If you need me to love you, say you do," he recited the songs lyrics to her as he brushed her hair out of her face. "I only want to be Damon," he whispered as he leaned in close to her; their faces inches away. "And I do, Bonnie. I need you to love me," Damon muttered before he leaned closer and captured Bonnie's lips in a fiery kiss.

"Damon..." Bonnie said breaking their kiss, eyes still closed.

"Endless love," he blurted out.

"What?"

"That's what we could have; endless love." Bonnie just stared at him for a long moment. His beautiful blue eyes held nothing but the truth. "And I heard you Bon. I did," he said placing his forehead on her, his hand caressing her cheek. "And don't you know that I need you," he recited more lyrics. "I'm here, Bonnie," he whispered. "I'm here," he whispered again before touching his lips to her again.

This time, Bonnie wasn't worried about the whithertos or the whyfors. She kissed Damon back with as much verve as he was giving to her. This is what she had been feeling between. This is what she had always felt between them. This burn; this spark; this electricity that could power the entire universe.

Bonnie put her hand on either side of Damon's face and deepened their kiss. Damon's lips parted from hers wasn't something she wanted to experience any time soon. When Damon stood from the couch, Bonnie stood with him, lips still attached. He lifted her into his arms and jetted to his room. He gently laid her on his massive bed and grabbed the hem of her t-shirt. Their lips became detached for a moment as the shirt passed over her head but that didn't last long.

Bonnie moaned in pleasure from the tiny fires that Damon's fingertips left on her skin as he traced her body. The smooth bend of her hip, her flat stomach, the curve of her breast. Damon didn't have to open his eyes or remove his lips from hers. He knew her body. Somehow, every curve of her body, every line in her lips, every birthmark on her, every wrinkle by her eyes, he knew by heart.

When Damon finally broke their kiss, Bonnie felt how flush she felt. She wasn't sure if it was from the kissing or the fact that he hadn't really done anything to her body but she was craving him. Damon trailed his sensuous kisses across her jawline and down her neck. Bonnie moaned as his kisses traveled down her chest to the silky tops of her breasts. She tugged on his t-shirt and helped it slid it off of his finely chiseled body. Bonnie watched her fingertips trace every line she could of his chest and abdomen. Damon sent a fever throughout her body as he planted another kiss on her lips.

Damon slid his hand beneath her and unhooked her bra then removed it from her body. He started at the beauty was beneath the lacy fabric. Bonnie shifted slightly under his gaze. She moaned deeply when he enveloped one of her nipples into his mouth. Damon drug his teeth lightly across it and lapped at it with his tongue.

He busied his hands at the button of her jeans. Once he opened them, he pulled away from her pebbled nipple and slid her pants down her slender legs. Damon opened her legs slightly and admired the wet spot that was ever growing between her legs. He inhaled deeply. The scent of her was intoxicating. Bonnie sat up and undid his belt, button and zipper. He stood up and slid the jeans down his legs, kicked them off then climbed back in bed beside her.

Bonnie kissed the vampire that lie beside her. She had never in a million years thought that this would be happening but now that it was there was nothing she would rather be doing; nowhere she would rather be. She broke their kiss with a large gasp when she felt Damon's fingertips stroke her clit. She stared into his blue eyes and grabbing his forearm trying to stop his relentless assault. He was unyielding. Bonnie worked her hips against his hand as the sound of pleasure filled the room.

Right before her finish, Damon slid three fingers inside of wet and waiting hole. Bonnie's screamed moan ripped through the boarding house as he worked every inch of her. He could feel her walls fluttering and clenching around him. Bonnie still had a hold of his forearm but she wasn't trying to push him away but draw him in more. By this point, Damon had used his other hand to remove her panties. That act allowed him to watch his handiwork. Watching his fingers slid in and out of her wetness was exhilarating for him.

At the exact moment that Bonnie was about to reach her climax, Damon replaced his fingers with his tongue. He lapped up every ounce of cum that gushed from her body. The taste of her made his head fuzzy. Nothing and no one had ever tasted this...awe-inspiring. Once Damon had licked her clean he slid up her body and kissed her soundly. Bonnie enjoyed the taste of herself on Damon's lips. He moaned against her mouth when she gripped his granite-like dick.

Damon laid on his back as he and Bonnie rolled over. She slid his boxer briefs down his legs and watched his dick spring to life. She laid back down beside him and grabbed him again. Damon closed his eyes and moaned loudly as she stroked him fervently. He couldn't get a clear thought processed. Well he could get one as he felt Bonnie expertly grip him tightly then squeeze and release quickly. The only thought that was clear in his mind was, _this was wasted on Young Jeremy_.

When Bonnie felt Damon's dick grow hotter, pulsate and begin to ooze pre-cum she knew he was about to blow. She slid down and positioned herself between his legs. She licked the underside of his dick and watched him twitch. She licked the pre-cum from his opening before encircling the head with her mouth. Damon moaned loudly. As Bonnie slid her mouth down his thick member, Damon lifted his hips until he tapped the back of her throat. He thrust his hips several more time before he felt his hot cum shoot down Bonnie's waiting throat.

Bonnie took down every single drop that Damon had to offer. She reveled in his moans as she licked her way back to the head of his dick. She crawled up his body and kissed his lips. Bonnie was glad that Damon was one of those guys who didn't get disgusted when a girl kissed him after her mouth had been on his cock.

Damon rolled her back over and reached into the drawer of the nightstand. Bonnie watched as he slid a super thin condom on this still hard dick. He pushed her legs open and slid himself against her clit and slit. Bonnie moved her hips to match his rhythm. They both gasped when Damon finally slid into her. From that point all thought was incoherent. Their bodies writhed against each other in pure ecstasy.

Damon interlocked his fingers with Bonnie's and he stared into her green eyes as he thrust into her as hard as he could. They kissed each other and moaned out each other's names. Damon's face changed and Bonnie turned her head exposing her neck to him. He furrowed his eyebrows but her head remained turned, neck exposed as they moved as one. When Damon couldn't control himself anymore, he sank his fangs into her neck. Her blood was always the sweetest he had ever tasted. The smell of sweat, blood and sex layered the room intermingling with the feeling of love.

The lust flowing between them was palpable. Damon continued thrusting into her tight hole as they made eye contact with each other. Damon felt them lift from the bed as he shoved himself deeper inside her of. Bonnie kissed him soundly before breaking it to moan his name loudly as she came repeatedly. Damon, unable to hold back anymore, finished as well, causing Bonnie she moan as she felt the hotness of his cum in the condom against her walls.

"I love you," he whispered, kissed her softly, brushed a few sweaty strands of hair from her face.

"I love you, too," she whispered her back. Damon slowly slid from her causing them both to moan slightly. He removed the condom and threw it in the wastebasket by the bed. He laid down and pulled Bonnie to him. In a swift movement, he pulled the sheets and blanket out of under them and then over them. Damon kissed the back of Bonnie's neck tenderly.

"No regrets, Bon Bon?" he questioned, his lips still hot on her skin.

"None. You?" she asked, tracing the flexed muscle of his forearm.

"None," Damon answered as he kissed her neck again.

"Good," Bonnie smiled, closing her eyes. Damon kissed the back of her head a drifted off as well.

The next morning Bonnie awoke to an empty bed. She stretched her satisfied body before padding across the room to the bathroom. The hot water washed away the dried memories of the previous night but Bonnie found herself lost in remembering Damon's kisses, touches, his body pressed against hers. Before she lost herself completely she grabbed a towel and got out of the shower. She dried her short hair before heading down the hallway to her bedroom. She dried and lotioned up before dressing in a pair of cotton short-shorts and a t-shirt. She slid her feet into a pair of ankle socks then headed downstairs.

Once Bonnie reached the right landing she could hear _Whatta Man by Salt-N-Pepa_ blasting from the radio in the kitchen. She smiled to herself as she made her way to the kitchen.

Bonnie stopped in the doorway. The sight before her was amazing. Damon was working the girdle, Stefan and Enzo each had a bowl full of pancake batter that they would ladle on to the girdle whenever Damon would flip done ones on the platter that Elena was holding. Trace, Caroline and Tyler were busy making orange juice. Jo, Ric, Liv, Luke and Jeremy were all setting the table. Matt was frying up some bacon. While doing all of these things everyone was dancing and singing the song.

"Morning Bon," Matt beamed as he flipped a couple of pieces over.

"What is going on here?" Bonnie asked, unable to contain her smile.

"Breakfast, love," Enzo answered.

"Yeah. This is the first time in so long that we've all been together, threat free," Elena informed her. "Care and I thought this was exactly what everyone needed," she said touching Bonnie's arm.

"Here, here, here," Luke said as he came over and grabbed Bonnie's hand. "You sit here," he said placing her on the far side of the table facing Damon.

"Damon, are you done yet?" Ric asked taking a seat one head of the table.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch," Damon remarked. "Here's the last one," he said flipping the pancake high into the air. Elena maneuvered around the island and caught it on the platter. She set the platter in the middle of the table and took the seat beside Bonnie. Damon sat down across from Bonnie and smile brightly.

After everyone was seated and had a stack of pancakes, Elena grabbed Bonnie's plate and handed it to Damon. His hands moved quickly around it before he handed it back to Elena, who set it down in front of Bonnie. She glanced between the two of them before looking down at her plate to see a vampire face smiling back at her.

"You both know I hate this," she smiled.

"She loves it," Elena laughed.

"Damn right she does," Damon smirked as he leaned over the table to kiss her soundly.

"Alright, Damon enough," Ric called. "People are trying to eat."

"Ooooo!" Enzo, Stefan, Matt and Tyler all teased.

"Don't tease him," Jo reprimanded them. Everyone laughed. As Bonnie looked around the table at all of her friends...her family, even Jeremy who seemed to be angry, she was happy. She had lived most of her life feeling like she didn't belong anywhere; like she was homeless, wondering from house to house, never truly having a place to call home with a real family, but seeing everyone smiling and joking it made her feel complete. She looked across the table at Damon who looked loving back at her and Bonnie finally realized that she was never, in fact, homeless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2: Anyone recognize that ending!? (Hint: I do NOT own: Supernatural S5E22, Swan Song.) Thank you again for reading Rescue Mission. I'm so glad that you took this journey to Bamon with me. Stay tuned for more and don't forget to review.**
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> **Translations:**
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> ****
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> **Getting the Bennett Magic:**
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> -Magicae de Bennetts. Intra me sunt. Me apud vos: Magic of the Bennetts. Enter my being. Consume me.
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> ****
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> **Magic Stripping and Prison Locking:**
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> -Relinquite magica, renovare humanae, et auferes malum cataracta : Relinquish the magic, renew the human, lock evil away.


	19. Epilogue - Fifteen Years Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N: Hey ya'll. So a few of you said you'd want to read an epilogue; so I decided to go ahead and fork it over.**
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> **So, a few things I want to correct myself on. I told you guys that I had a Matty Blue Eyes story in the works. That's the truth but it's gotten put on the back burner because my sister and I have decided to make Rescue a series. Also, I said that the epilogue would be 10 years later I changed my mind and made it 15. Ok, that's it. Enjoy!**
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> **Happy Reading!**
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> **And as always, COMMENTS = LOVE!**
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> _Disclaimer: I do NOT own: The Vampire Diaries, any characters, places, words or phrases from the books or television series, Washington, DC, Portland Oregon, Chicago, Manhattan, North Carolina, New Orleans Children's National Health System Main Hospital, Tulane University, School of Visual Arts, UNC:Ashville, UNC, Intergrative Liberal Arts or anything else you can find outside of fandom. Gilbert Graphic, Salvatore Tires and Lube on all of the OCs are solely mine._  
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>  **THIS FANFICTION IS UNBETA'D BUT PROOFREAD. ANY REMAINING MISTAKES ARE UNINTENTIONAL. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.**
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**Fifteen Years Later**

It's been fifteen years to the day that Damon and the gang had saved Bonnie from the prison. The entire Mystic Falls Gang was spread wide and far.

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** Stefan and Elena: **

Stefan Salvatore and Elena Gilbert moved to Washington DC. Elena graduated from Whitmore University; she went on to medical school and did her residency at the same hospital that she is currently a doctor; _Children's National Health System Main Hospital_. She works as a pediatrician.

Stefan opened _Salvatore Tires and Lube_. When he moved to DC, it wasn't to open a garage but to work at one that he had seen online. But the owner was a dick and Stefan quit after he compelled the man that every time someone said the phrase, _Boss, I need to talk to you,_ he would smile at them and tell them that they could have whatever they wanted, including a raise.

When Stefan and Elena first moved, they lived close to each ofter but they were just trying to get back to being real friends. Now, at the fifteen year mark, they've become roommates but still nothing romantic.

Elena has been doing everything that she can to prove to Stefan that he can trust her with his heart again but Stefan hadn't lied to Bonnie when he told that Elena would have to work for his love and to be with him again; but because neither of them never un-fell for each other; Stefan is not opposed to trying to find a way back to each other.

** Tyler, Liv and Luke: **

Tyler Lockwood and Liv Parker moved back to Portland, Oregon with Luke Parker. Upon they're return the twins took their rightful place as leaders of the Gemini Coven. Anna, Andrew, Jeffery and a few other members didn't want to be led by the Parker twins and broke off into a fringe coven.

Tyler on his first weekend in town went to a bar in Portland. While sitting at the bar a tall man with long black hair sat down beside him. He was silent. Tyler asked him what he wanted but the man remained silent. He rose from his seat and placed a napkin in front of Tyler before leaving the bar. It read, _**Meet me outside**_. Tyler weary, went outside and found the man standing at the corner of the bar, in the alley. The man jerked his head for Tyler to follow him; again uneasy he followed. Once he and the man stopped walking they were at the back of the alley and there were eleven other people.

The man introduced himself as Thomas and they were the Luna Pueri Pack. Their alpha had been killed and they are leaderless and they want him to lead them. They had heard from member of another coven that he had picked up one their own who wanted nothing to do with their pack. Tyler told him that that guy was dead and they were better off without him. Thomas assured him that they looked into him. They were going to come to Mystic Falls to find him but they had heard that he was in Portland. As Tyler looked at their hopeful faces, he agreed to be their Alpha and with the help of Bonnie, formed his own pack of hybrids that serve as protection for Liv, Luke and the Gemini Coven.

** Ric and Jo: **

Ric and Jo Saltzman remained in Mystic Falls running the boarding house as an actual boarding house. Before everyone moved away, they married. At the five year mark they had a beautiful little boy named Colton "Colt" Saltzman. Jo became chief of staff at Whitmore University Hospital and Ric became the head of the Occult Studies Department at Whitmore.

** Caroline: **

At the year mark, Caroline Forbes learned that Bonnie had done the Heart's Truth spell on Elena and she insisted that she do it to her. After Bonnie did the spell on her, Caroline, who couldn't pretend to be surprised at what she saw; Klaus saving her, Klaus giving her the painting of the horse and them having sex in the woods, moved to New Orleans.

She wasted no time finding Klaus and fulfilling her hearts desire by becoming his wife and the queen of New Orleans. She also finished her education at Tulane University.

At the nine year mark, Caroline and Klaus took in two werewolf infants whose parents and pack had been killed by witches. A boy, who is now six and they named, Delacroix Xavier Mikaelson, Del for short and a girl, who is now five and they named, Elizabeth Renee Mikaelson, Liz for short.

** Jeremy: **

Jeremy Gilbert moved to Manhattan and attended the School of Visual Arts and became a digital artist. He started his own company _Gilbert Graphic_ and married one of his classmates named Bellamy "Bella" Sanders.

** Matt: **

Matt Donovan moved to a small town and became chief of police before moving on to become mayor. He married a vampire named Adler or Adi. They met at a restaurant. Matt found that he could open up to her about his past without judgment. He explained to her about the vampires in his life and how they had ruined everything. She was hesitant to tell him that she was one but once she did, Matt told her that he was already in love with her. Her being a vampire wasn't going to change that.

Matt was turned into a vampire during their second year of marriage when he was in a terrible car accident. Adi fed him her blood in hopes of saving him but he died and was turned. One of Adi's human friends, who had had a hard pregnancy, wrote a will just in case something went wrong, died during child birth. She left her baby to Adi and Matt. Matt fell in love with the little girl that they named Genevieve Victoria, after her friend and Matt's sister.

** Trace and Enzo: **

Trace Sinclair and Enzo left Mystic Falls together. They traveled the whole world, visiting all of the places that Enzo had never had the pleasure of seeing before settling down in the one city that one, they both loved, two offered the best deep dish and three had the best tasting people, Chicago.

** Damon and Bonnie: **

Damon Salvatore and Bonnie Bennett-Salvatore have been together for fifteen years. A month after her rescue she reformed the Bennett Coven, took her rightful place as leader and finally connected with the family she had no idea was out there. Getting to know the other Bennett witches was fun and stressful and turned out to be one of the best things that Bonnie had ever experienced. She, of course, already knew Lucy, but she met Lucy's mother and aunt and so many other cousins, one as young as sixteen.

Bonnie graduated from Whitmore and went to the University of North Carolina: Ashville and got a PhD in Integrative Liberal Studies. Damon also attended UNC: Ashville and graduated with a degree in History (Ric thought that was funny.)

Damon and Bonnie were married in Mystic Falls at the five year mark and five years later had a baby girl named Mackensie, who is a supernatural wonder; a witch/vampire hybrid. Lucy's mother, Joanna told Bonnie that Mackensie was born out of magic and love. Vampires can not reproduce but her magic allowed Damon to impregnate her. Mackensie had both traits from her parents and because she was born as a vampire it was not necessary for her to drink blood in order to transition after she was born; Bonnie's blood was all she needed. She has sandy skin, curly dark brown hair and teal eyes.

After settling in North Carolina, Bonnie could be closer to her mother after they reconnected due to Abby's involvement in the coven. Damon, loving every moment as a stay at home dad, is currently teaching five year old Kensie the fundamentals of compulsion; even though his wife and Kensie's grandmother say it's too soon for that, while Bonnie works at the University of North Carolina as a Liberal Arts professor.

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Every year on the anniversary of Bonnie's rescue the whole gang meets up at the boarding house, kids and all for a huge family breakfast. Everyone helps make the meal while singing and dancing to hits from 1994.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2: Again, thank you all so much for your love for this story. I really do hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to comment!**
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> **Don't forget to head on over the the second story in this series, Rescue Mission: Zavrina Bennett. It's already up and ready to go. Just click through and enjoy!.**
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> **Translation of pack name:**  
>  **Luna Pueri : Moon's children**
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> **Sidenote: I got a commenter saying that the Stelena reunion was forced but there was _NO_ reunion but I'm letting everyone know now. I ship Bamon, Stelena, Klaroline. No matter what I write, they will always find each other one way or the other.**


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